Til Death Do Us Part
by MissjudyK
Summary: This story has four sections and follows Adam as he begins a new life in Boston. He is engaged, working as an engineer and singing in a prestigious choir. Wedding plans move quickly when Ben sends news that he will be stopping for a visit. Nothing goes easy for the Cartwrights and this is no different. Adam and Ben still make a great team as they face new trials
1. Chapter 1

**'** **Til Death Do Us Part**

 **Part I**

 **Relatively Speaking**

 **One**

 **It's the City Life for Me**

Adam plunged a dirty plate into the pan of hot, sudsy dishwater as he practiced a difficult line from Mozart's _Requiem Mass in D Minor_. His voice broke on a higher note, causing him to stop and mutter to himself before breathing more deeply—this time from his diaphragm—and began again. _"_ Mors slo-pe-bit et na-to-ra. Cum re-sur-get cre-a-tu-ra. Ju-di-can-ti res-pon-su-ra. _"_

As he sang and scrubbed, he glanced at the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall. He knew what day it was, but hadn't considered the actual date until it saw it there in black and white. It had been six months since he'd arrived in Boston, and two years to the date since he'd fallen from the roof of the house he'd been building as a surprise wedding gift for Laura. His voice silenced again as he mulled over all that had happened in those 24 months.

The fall had paralyzed him. A wry smile crossed his face as he recalled that his decision to marry Laura had been a symptom of the paralysis that had shown up long before the fall. It wasn't just his legs that had stopped working at the time. The paralysis in his life had kept him from standing up and walking to the life that had been calling him. He'd convinced himself that he needed marriage and a family. What he hadn't considered until it was nearly too late, was that he was marrying the wrong woman.

During his convalescence, he'd wheeled his chair to the barn, and had overheard a conversation between his cousin, Will, and Laura, where she had spoken of her great love…for Will. The seeming betrayal hadn't upset him in the least, and it should have allowed his graceful exit from a situation he no longer wanted to continue. But even though he'd told her to go with Will and be happy, Laura had said she'd needed to stay with him because Will wouldn't take her from Adam while he remained an invalid. His cousin seemed to think he could repay the betrayal by leaving Laura behind to continue as his nursemaid. That had made him angry as well as frustrated. He hadn't wanted Will's "gift" or her "martyrdom," and he had willed himself to stand and walk so that they could leave together, unencumbered by guilt.

He breathed a sigh of relief just as he had then, and smiled at how far that simple act of standing had taken him. Rising from the wheelchair had begun a rising in his spirit. There had still been months of restlessness before he'd left home, but that had prepared him to go when the time was right. News of his grandfather's stroke had given him the final impetus to leave for Boston, and he had gone with his father's blessing.

To his relief, Abel's health had improved by the time of his arrival, and his advances since then had been dramatic and rapid. The older man was getting around fine, and except for an occasional hesitation in the flow of his words, he had regained his ability to speak. Abel's full recovery had allowed Adam to find a full life for himself. He'd taken a job with Wadsworth Engineering and Development, a company owned by Frank Wadsworth, the father of his college roommate. He'd spent time at the Wadsworth house with Frankie back in his student days, and the family had accepted him into their fold. Frankie lived in San Francisco now and ran the Wadsworth business there, but Frank Sr. had welcomed Adam into the Boston firm with open arms and an excellent salary.

Shortly after he started working at the firm, another engineer had heard Adam singing in his office, and suggested that he audition for the Boston Symphonic Choir. The downside to being accepted into such a renowned group was the commitment to the many evenings of practice. Adam had worried about leaving Abel alone so often if he was accepted, but his grandfather had encouraged him to take advantage of every opportunity.

Adam had been warned that the audition was difficult, with the likely outcome being a severe critique of his skills, and the recommendation that he audition for one of the "lesser choirs" in Boston. After two hours of singing scales, and sight-reading pieces of increasing difficulty, he'd been congratulated on his perfect pitch, broad vocal range, familiarity with the work of several composers, and finally, welcomed into the group. The choirmaster had asked him where he had taken lessons and which choirs he'd sung in. Adam hadn't had much to offer, and had told him that he had taken vocal training after he'd been accepted into his college choir. Luckily, singing with a choir of that renown had been enough to impress the director. Adam decided that there was no need to tell of his private performances singing to the cattle he'd watched over at night, or while riding through the canyons of the Ponderosa.

Singing again with a group of trained voices was a wonderful experience, and he looked forward to rehearsals. He had only been with the group a few weeks when the artist doing the tenor solo in the mass had become ill and had to drop out. There were other tenors in the group, but none of them could learn the part on such short notice. The director had been ready to cancel the performance when he'd recalled that Adam's had noted doing the tenor solo in college on his resume and had even performed a bit of it at his audition. He'd approached his newest member, and had pressed Adam to do the part so the concert could go forward.

The thought of the performance in three weeks still filled Adam with trepidation. His fear was not about performing alone, handling the Latin words or remembering the challenging music—it was about singing tenor. He had been much younger when he'd performed this the last time, and his voice had matured since then. His range still allowed him to sing the part and he was doing fine, except for two of the higher runs when his voice sometimes cracked. This was a vocal workout he wasn't used to, but he'd arranged for private lessons and practiced whenever he could, while convincing himself that all would be well. When his voice still failed at times, he wondered if he hadn't made a very bad decision.

"You must breathe deeply, Mr. Cartwright," Adam admonished himself as he rolled the "r" in "breathe" and "Cartwright," just as his vocal coach did. He laughed as he rinsed the plate he was holding, and grabbed another dirty one as he took a deep breath, held it to a count of ten and exhaled slowly and evenly.

Adam continued his breathing exercises as he thought again about how good the last six months had been. There was so much nearby in Boston, both educationally and culturally, and the pace of city life appealed to him. He would say that he was working just as hard as he had on the ranch—or at least that he was putting in as many hours. It was the type of work that was different, needing more concentration and less rote. Failing to accomplish daily chores on the ranch would have led to mayhem, but he had more discretion with what had to be done here. He found that he was just as tired at the end of the day now, but in a different and satisfying way.

Of course there were dark days when he missed his family. It was a jolt to go from the constant togetherness and clamor at the Ponderosa to living quietly with his grandfather. What was hardest to deal with was the loss of immediacy. Something happened every day that he wanted to tell his father or brothers about, until he remembered that they wouldn't be waiting at the supper table. He'd found the best way to handle those moments was to scribble a note to include in the next letter home. These proved to be the painful drawbacks to living so far away from the people he loved.

In the midst of all the good things occurring in his life, there was one thing that weighed on his mind. He and his father had not discussed his "long term" plans when he'd left. He hadn't been sure at the time what he saw for the future. Helping his grandfather had been the stimulus to leave Nevada, yet he knew he would have left soon even if Abel hadn't taken ill.

There were times when he felt great guilt about not seeing his future with his family, and he knew he'd have to be completely honest with his father about this at some point. The guilt would ease as he reminded himself that he was a grown man and could choose to live as he wanted. This life suited him and he would have to do the best he could, just as his family would do the best they could in the lives that suited them. His father knew that Adam was soon to be married, but that wouldn't stop him from thinking that his son would return—bringing his new wife home with him.

The showdown with Ben Cartwright was coming sooner that he'd expected, and he was preparing an answer for when his father asked, "When are you coming home, son?"

Adam hadn't expected his reflections to take a turn toward his family. His breathing exercises ceased as he dealt with the sadness. He might not want to return to ranching, but he carried his father and brothers in his heart every day. That would never change.

Trying to move past the melancholy, he grabbed a serving dish and began to scrub it clean. He was elbow deep in suds to give his grandfather's housekeeper, Sadie McIntyre, a hand with the lunch dishes while she went to the docks to get fresh snapper from the fishermen returning from their morning runs. Adam often came home for lunch and would spend an hour with Abel before returning to work. Today was special though, and he'd stayed longer. Melinda was due to arrive home that afternoon and Sadie was going to fix his fiancée's favorite dish to welcome her back. Adam wanted to surprise the housekeeper with a clean kitchen as a way to let her know of his appreciation.

Even though the dishwater was warm, he shivered with anticipation at the thought of being married soon. It had been a long time coming and he was ready to be a husband, and hopefully a father. He and Melinda had met when he was in his sophomore year of school and he had spent a fall holiday with his grandfather. She had been visiting her aunt, Lynne, who lived next door to Abel, and she and Adam had struck up a friendship that had turned to romance and a proposal—12 years ago. But they'd decided against marriage so that he could go home to help his family while she went back to school. They'd lost touch soon after parting—each thinking the other had fallen out of love, and moved on.

He had met Melinda unexpectedly in Sacramento two years ago. After spending several hours talking, they realized that that the letters they thought had never been written had simply not reached their destinations. That knowledge had made no difference because he'd been engaged to Laura Dayton at the time. He and Melinda had gone their separate ways, even while knowing that they were still in love.

When he had made the decision to come back to Boston, Adam had entertained the hope that he and Melinda might reconnect. She had inherited the house next to Abel's and while he knew he'd see her again, he couldn't expect that things hadn't changed in her life. But as fate sometimes worked, they had been given a second chance. They'd decided that they should get to know each again and go through a period of courting to make sure that they felt the same deep connection as they had years ago. Their love was undisputed, but there was the thought that while absence might make the heart grow fonder, it might also camouflage issues they'd forgotten existed between them. That plan worked splendidly until two weeks into their courtship.

He had arranged for them to have dinner on the waterfront, and then take a moonlight walk in the park later where he planned to propose. But when he'd arrived at her house, she'd been holding a box that she'd found in the attic while looking for a shawl. She said she'd packed the box away with Lynne's things after her aunt had died without checking inside, because she thought she knew what it contained. But the string holding the top on had broken when she'd moved it to get at the shawl, and the contents had slid out, exposing the many letters _they_ had written and sent to each other. On closer observation, they saw that Adam's letters had all been opened, while Melinda's had not.

She'd been able to construct a reasonable explanation as to how they'd gotten to Lynne's house. There had been mix-ups in the posting the letters she'd sent to Adam and those had been returned to her aunt's address. And Adam had written to the wrong school at first, and later he'd sent letters directly to Lynne's home, trying to reach Melinda there when she'd come home for breaks.

Melinda suspected that the reason Lynne hid the correspondence had come from Lynne figuring out the significance of the letters between her niece and the boy who'd lived next door, and feared that Melinda would not return if she was in love. But as she and Adam had talked about the letters, she'd recalled a strange conversation with Lynne shortly after she'd returned to live with her aunt following graduation. Lynne had "confided" that she'd received love letters from an old beau during her niece's absence that had told of his continuing love, and his desire to marry her one day. She'd also said that the letters she'd written to him had been returned unopened. Lynne had even made a reference to her lover moving west, and that his evil family must have kept him from seeing her correspondence just as they had when they were younger. Melinda hadn't given it much thought then, other than assuming it was a story brought on by her aunt's failing memory and tendency toward reading romance novels. But the most reasonable explanation that they'd been able to reconstruct was that Lynne had been living out a fantasy with the letters from Adam.

Confronted with the truth of their enduring love, and promises kept, Adam had decided to propose then and there…until Melinda had told him to stop. He thought she was going to refuse him again, and he'd decided to join a cloistered order of monks that observed a vow of silence when she'd told him that she was simply fulfilling another promise she'd made to him 12 years ago: that when the timing was right, _she'd_ propose to him. She had…and he'd said yes.

They'd wanted to be married immediately but Melinda had several traveling obligations remaining in conjunction with the teaching program she'd developed. She had been away for several long stretches over the time he'd been back, and while the time apart had been hard, it had given him time to readjust to his new life. Melinda had now finished training another person to do her presentations, and her homecoming tonight signaled the end of the traveling. She had decided to continue working at the publishing house, but she and Adam could finally plan a small wedding and be together.

Adam smiled as he grabbed a cooking pot, shoved it into the dishwater and thought, _I'm getting married!_ He breathed deeply and began his solo lines from the _Sequentia_ section of the mass.

 **Two**

 **Old and New Wounds,**

Melinda knocked lightly at the Stoddard front door and let herself in. It was early afternoon, a time when Abel usually napped, and she didn't want to disturb him. There was a buggy at the curb, and she hoped Adam might still be there. She smiled widely when she heard him singing, and made her way to the kitchen where he stood with his back toward her, directing himself with a wet dishcloth and a large, soapy pot.

She set down her valise down quietly and removed her hat before sneaking across the room until she was directly behind him. Rising to her toes, she kissed the back of his neck and gently bit his ear.

Adam grinned, and purred, "You know that Melinda is coming home today, Mrs. McIntyre, so we'll have to be a little more discreet about our afternoon trysts."

Melinda laughed as she grabbed a damp towel from the cupboard, and quickly twirled it into a fabric whip. She cried out, "So you and Sadie have been carrying on behind my back, eh? I'll show you how I handle such duplicity," and gave the cloth a solid snap…

Adam yelped as the tip of the towel stung the tender skin behind his jawline. The pot slid from his hand, drenching the front of his shirt as it splashed into the pan of water. The back of his shirt became soaked as well when he dropped the oozing dishrag onto his shoulder while reaching for the rising welt. He turned to face Melinda…dripping and injured. His brows came dangerously close together in a scowl as he asked in mock anger, "What kind of woman inflicts injury, gets a man soaking wet, and then stands there laughing?"

She tried to look serious even while stifling a laugh, "I don't know…maybe a woman with horrible aim…and an evil sense of humor?" She leaned forward to kiss him without contacting his wet shirt. "I'm so sorry Adam. I thought it would hit much lower." Melinda was having trouble controlling her giggling. "In fact, I was trying to hit your backside, but I aimed it a little higher than I expected."

"A _little_ higher?" he teased. "I'd say a good two feet higher." He tried to grab her, but she moved away, thwarting the attempt to transfer his dampness.

Stepping forward again, she reached to undo the top button of his shirt. "Here, let me help you get this wet thing off. I'll hang it outside to dry while you change."

Melinda had the front buttons opened and pulled the tails free as she turned him to face the sink. Sliding the soggy white shirt from his shoulders, she noticed the scar on the back of his left arm and moved her fingers across the discolored ridge. "What happened here?"

"Caught an arrow with my arm."

"Yikes! That must have hurt going in."

He chuckled as he told her, "That's where it came out. It's part of a matching set; it went in on the front of my arm.

She finished removing the shirt and placed it on the cupboard and then turned Adam toward her to see the corresponding scar. She looked closely at the white line on his inner arm and then stepped back, eyeing her future husband. She appreciated how his broad shoulders tapered to his firm chest and narrow waist. But as she looked more closely, she saw several deeply discolored scars that ranged in size from an inch or so, to two, long, irregular shaped gashes on his abdomen. She tried to control her surprise but her eyes widened as her mouth gaped. Turning away, she feigned a cough while stalling a few moments to wipe away the tears that were spilling down her cheeks. She took a handkerchief from her pocket, and dabbed at her eyes and nose until she felt she could face him without crying.

"Must be the time of year," she said as she turned and smiled without meeting his eyes. I think the doctors call it hay fever. It makes me cough and my eyes run." Melinda reached for the shirt. "I'll go hang this up now." She was shocked when Adam yanked it away from her and threw it back on the cupboard, growling, "Never mind. I'll take care of it myself."

She saw his tortured expression as he stepped around her and strode from the room. "Where are you going?" she asked as she followed him into the parlor.

He stopped to answer without looking at her. "To get dressed and head back to work. Mrs. McIntyre is planning dinner for 7. I'll be back a little before that."

Melinda caught up to him and grabbed his arm as he continued to move away. "What's wrong, Adam?"

He said nothing.

"I've obviously upset you. Please tell me why you seem so angry."

He turned his head to address her. "You can't erase something by pretending that it didn't happen, Melinda." He sighed heavily. "I suppose it's good that you realized this now instead of after we're married. You can still back out gracefully. I won't hold it against you."

"Why would I want to back out of marrying you?"

Adam didn't answer. He tried to leave again, but she grabbed at his belt and held tight. "When we agreed to marry we both promised to be honest with each another. But now I'm thinking that you meant it to be a one-way promise…that I always need to be honest with you. Let me be very clear: I expect this promise to work both ways. I've done something to hurt you. I'm not sure what it was and you need to tell me."

He shook his head and groaned. "I really do hate it when my own words come back at me. And I hate talking about feelings, but I will if you'll let go." When she released her hold, he began to speak matter-of-factly, while remaining with his back toward her, leaning forward onto the newel post of the stairs. "You were always a lovely woman, Melinda, and the years we were apart were exceptionally kind to you." He glanced back at her. "When I saw you in Sacramento, I was amazed at what a lovely woman you'd become. And your confidence and poise adds to your beauty."

He paused as she thanked him. "But I lived hard in those same years. There were Indians and gunmen, and those who tested the Cartwright mettle just to see if they could break us. I'm not the young man I was when you knew me, and the years have not been as kind to me. I'm weather-worn, broader and heavier, and took a few arrows and bullets that made some big holes and left some bad looking scars. But I refuse to be apologetic for who I am now, what's happened to me, or how I look. I'm sorry that you're repulsed by what you see."

Melinda's eyes flew open. "Repulsed? You think I'm repulsed by you?"

He finally turned to face her. "You looked stricken at the sight of me, and turned away to cry. You were obviously disgusted."

Her cheeks turned pink. "Oh. You saw that…"

"You're a good teacher, Melinda, but a horrible actress. Of course I saw it."

She reached for his face. He pulled away to deflect her touch, but she was not deterred. "It's my turn to be honest." She took a moment to compose her thoughts. "I've only been attracted to two men in my life. The first was a handsome, slightly scrawny, young engineering student. I got a proposal out of him, but the timing was all wrong."

She saw a breath of a smile cross his lips before he returned to stone. "And after ten years of looking, I decided that I wouldn't find someone who excited me in the same way that thinking of that young man did. About that time, I looked in a store window in Sacramento and was left breathless at seeing a man dressed in black, and I thought that if I could still feel that enlivened by someone that wasn't you, I might have a chance to find love after all. But that second man turned out to be you too."

Adam broke into her narrative, "And now you're disappointed that I'm not the man you imagined all those years. I understand, Melinda. Let's not draw this out any further." He turned to leave.

"No! I'm not disappointed! And don't you dare walk away. I'm just getting to my point." She moved up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed the scar on his arm. "I like everything about you, including the scars. In our years apart, I let myself imagine you having a wonderful life while never giving me a second thought. I assumed that you had married, and I coveted your wife's place in your arms, and in your be…" Melinda stopped as she blushed, while changing her thought to, "in your heart. But I found out that none of those imaginings were true. And what's worse is that I had never…ever considered that you were injured so severely…or often…that or could have died. The scars made me look at my shallowness and I was filled with shame. That's why I cried."

Moving around to face him, she touched the largest of the scars. "I don't need to know much about medicine to figure out that whatever happened here should have killed you. Her hand moved to the scar above the first. This one could have caused your death as well." Her eyelashes grew dewy with tears that she blinked away. "What I saw when I looked at you was that you must have fought with everything you had to stay alive, and you're with me now only because you kept on fighting. I'm not saying that you were thinking of me during those times, but you never gave up or let life defeat you. How can I ever love you enough to thank you for that?"

She kissed his lips. "And concerning what I think about the man you've become… well, you are a fine specimen, Adam Cartwright. Have you _never_ noticed how women turn to watch you walk by? Sometimes I want to go and scratch their eyes out." She kissed the scar on his shoulder. "I'll take this broader, heavier…hairier man any day." She kissed the scar on his chest and moved lower to gently kiss the larger wound on his abdomen, making Adam catch his breath. She finally laid her cheek against his chest and listened to his racing heartbeat. "I am in love with every last inch of you, and can't wait to be with you forever."

Adam raised her face as he found her lips.

Her arms encircled his neck as they continued to kiss until Melinda's eyes shot open as she broke away to ask, "Is Abel upstairs?"

Bringing his lips to hers again he answered, "Playing cards at Seth's. Mrs. McIntyre's gone as well." Melinda's soft moans echoed his as the kisses deepened and they clung to one another with the need that they'd held back for so long.

She gasped with pleasure when Adam slipped his hands beneath the loose jacket of her dress and brushed her breasts through the lightweight fabric of her camisole. All inhibition retreated as her mind flooded with desire so strong that she began to explore his body; her touch making him groan as he drew her hips toward his.

Their passion was halted abruptly when they heard the squeak of the backdoor hinge, signaling the return of Mrs. McIntyre. Adam shuddered as he stepped back, still breathing heavily. He chuckled as he whispered, "Any other day she'd have been away for hours." He winked at Melinda, tugged her jacket back into place, and gave her a quick kiss before bounding up the stairs.

The housekeeper set down her packages and chattered happily to herself about the pile of clean dishes before she made her way into the parlor. "Oh Missy," she exclaimed, you're home already. Welcome back!" She moved toward Melinda, patting her on the shoulder as she continued to prate. "Is Mr. Cartwright still home? I saw his rig out front."

Melinda was still breathless from her "talk" with Adam and pointed to the stairway. "Up there… changing his shirt… got wet doing dishes."

Mrs. McIntyre took a good look at Melinda as her eyes narrowed in concern. "Are you feeling all right Miss? You seem flushed and a little glassy-eyed."

With her heart rate and breathing slowing to normal, Melinda was finally able to answer, "I'm fine, Sadie. I have hay fever is all."

Adam was wearing the black pants and shirt he'd always worn on the Ponderosa when he returned a few minutes later. He greeted Mrs. McIntyre, accepted her thanks for the help in the kitchen and let her know that he'd be back early for dinner before heading outside.

Melinda leered appreciatively at her man in black as she walked him to the street. "Where's your suit? I thought you were heading back to work."

"I have to take measurements at a site so I changed into work clothes."

She smiled wickedly, speaking softly as she kissed him goodbye. "I do like you in those duds, mister." She blushed. "About what happened a few minutes ago…."

He grinned. "I'm not sure what you mean? Did something happen?"

"Watch it, or I'll go get the towel and hurt you again." She took his arm. "I can't wait to be married, Adam. Can we elope? I think you mentioned doing just that a few times, and it might be a very good idea. We've never let ourselves get so carried away before and after what I just experienced, I don't think I can go back to holding hands, getting a good night kiss and then watching you walk to the house next door."

Adam drew her close. "I kind of liked getting carried away. It's not like we're a couple of kids anymore and we'll be married soon, so I think we're entitled to have a few moments of…."

"Exploration?" Melinda completed his thought as she blushed more deeply.

"Yes, I like that. I think our willingness to explore bodes well for our marriage." For a second he wondered why Melinda looked impatient, until he remembered her question. "I wouldn't mind eloping, but I got some news that might have an impact on our wedding plans."

She frowned. "What news?"

I received a letter from my father while you were gone. He sent it over two months ago but it arrived on the same day as his telegram."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Melinda chuckled. "What did he have to say?"

"He's in Washington D.C. and will be coming to Boston after he finishes with his business there. I'm hoping we can be married while he's here."

"That sounds wonderful." Her disappointment vanished. "I can't wait to meet your father. What's he doing in Washington?"

"He was asked to give testimony at a congressional hearing about what went on when Nevada was considering statehood."

"What would your father have to say about that?"

"There were several rumors at that time about conspiracies, and a lot of behind-the-scenes action going on in '64. Nevada's silver-laden mountains appealed to both the Union and the Confederacy."

Melinda nodded. "I remember reading about that. Was your father involved in one of those…conspiracies?"

Adam laughed. "No, but he dealt with some of it during the statehood convention for our part of the Territory. At the time my brother was head-over-heels in love with a young woman who was David Terry's daughter. Terry was an avid Southern sympathizer involved in some intrigue even before coming to Nevada. I suspected from the start that he was using my brother's affection for his daughter to sway him toward the cause of the Confederacy. But that was the least of what Terry did."

Melinda's eyes widened with interest. "What happened?"

"Pa was a delegate to the statehood convention, but Terry convinced those in charge to add a delegate from the Ponderosa, knowing full well that Joe was the only other family member home at the time. He counted on Joe's vote going against statehood to cancel out Pa's vote for inclusion in the Union. That wasn't enough for Terry though. He was working with a British agent who had promised to provide men and weapons to help Terry take over the silver mines around Virginia City should it came to that, in return for assurances that southern cotton would continue moving to the mills in England. The guns-for-cotton plot was confirmed in a letter that Hoss and I found on the agent's courier. The two of us high-tailed it to that convention and got there in time to expose the conspiracy."

"You have lived through some interesting times, my love. What happened then?"

"My father warned Terry that he'd gone too far, and the vote confirmed Nevada's statehood. Things happened pretty fast after that."

Melinda's forehead wrinkled as she thought a moment. "I don't remember hearing of anything bad happening as Nevada became a state. Were there problems that we didn't hear about back here?'"

"Nothing happened, even though militias had been formed by Southern loyalists, and there had been threats of force against the mines. In the end most of those who avidly supported the South became even more avid in Nevada state politics. I think the hearing in Washington is taking a look at the means Terry would have used to get the silver for the South. If you think about it, he did consort with a foreign power to provide aid against the United States. If the findings show this to be true, Judge Terry could find himself indicted for treason."*

Melinda frowned, "It is sad how many lives were affected by that war. I knew families that were torn apart by political disagreements and geography. A few miles and strong sentiments one way or the other made all the difference in what side you favored. I remember President Lincoln warning that a house divided against itself could not stand and he paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. I know I'm relieved that the war is over."

"Families didn't have trouble agreeing just here, Melinda. Little Joe's mother was from New Orleans. She died when he was young and I think he clung to anything that reminded him of her. He seemed to be an easy target for those hoping to garner Cartwright support for the Confederacy. I believed in the sovereignty of the Union, so Joe and I butted heads several times. I was prepared to leave once because I felt that there wasn't room in our house for both opinions."

"Did you work it out? I can't remember you ever speaking of hard feelings between you and your brothers."

"Pa held us all together with sheer will at times. But mostly there was Hoss. He made us both take a good look at what was most important. In the end, we decided that we would stay brothers instead of becoming enemies."

"Is you father involved in state politics now?"

Adam shook his head. "He's been asked to throw his hat in several times, but Ben Cartwright is a better spokesman for Nevada as a successful businessman than as a politician. He owes his allegiances to no particular party this way and can act on his conscience alone. My father is his own man, and chooses to remain that way. Yet his voice is as powerful as any politician in the state."

"I've got two questions for you now." Melinda took a deep breath and asked, "When will your father get here, and should _I_ be afraid of him?"

He reached for her hand. "His telegram says he'll arrive next Monday, and you needn't be afraid. You're not afraid of Abel or me, and my father is no harder to get along with than the two of us. I've been told that I have as hard a head as he does and you _love_ me." He looked up at the sun noting that the afternoon was passing quickly. "I'd better get going."

Melinda continued to hold his hand as Adam began climbing into the buggy and pulled him toward her for a last kiss. "Oh," she called out as he started away. She caught up to the buggy, saying, "I forgot to tell you that we're invited to dinner at my sister's house on Sunday. My parents will be there too."

Adam looked at Melinda and said dryly, "I think I feel a case of malaria coming on."

Her look was withering as she stood with her hands firmly anchored on her hips. "So you're saying that you'd prefer a high fever, chills and intestinal upheaval rather than visiting my family? Be careful what you wish for, dear."

"It does sound so much worse when you say it that way." His grin was mischievous. "But I've met your mother before so you can't really blame me for looking for a way out…."

A tapping foot accompanied her scowl, "I thought you were a God-fearing man, Adam Cartwright, but you seem to have forgotten the fifth Commandment."

"I do honor _my_ father. But these are your parents, so you may honor them while extending my apologies and explaining my malady." He was still grinning as he started to drive away and heard her call "Adam!" He also heard the hurt in in her voice and realized he'd taken the teasing too far. Stopping one more time, he turned and motioned for her to come nearer. "Of course I'll go with you, Melinda. Can't think of anything I'd rather do…and I'll behave."

 **Three**

 **Blast be the Ties that Bind**

Melinda engaged in pleasantries with Abel for several minutes, talking about the weather and Ben Cartwright's arrival the following day until her patience and goodwill waned. When Adam remained absent even longer, she began to pace, looking up the steps each time she made it to that side of the room and asked again, "He's getting ready, isn't he?"

Abel grinned behind the Sunday newspaper he'd raised as she'd started her sentry duty. "Yes, Melinda. I've already told you that he wasn't feeling well this morning and lingered a little too long in bed. But he should be just about ready to go."

She muttered under her breath as she reached the end of the room and turned to retrace her steps. "He's doing this to see if I'll really make him come, and he even got Abel to play along with him. But if he thinks he's staying home, he's got another think coming." She was considering storming his room when she looked up and saw him standing at the top of the stairs. Breathing a sigh of relief, Melinda prodded, "Please hurry Adam, they're expecting us at eleven and I don't want to be late."

As his descent brought him nearer, she noticed that he was pale and his hand was trembling on the bannister. "Oh dear," she cried out as she ran up the steps to meet him. "You really are sick. I thought you and Abel were just having a little fun with me. You go on back to bed and I'll go alone."

Laying an arm around her shoulder, he professed, "I'm fine…or at least not as bad as I was. So let's get going before I change my mind."

The fresh air on the drive to Sunday dinner with Melinda's family made Adam hopeful that he would feel better by the time they arrived. He tried to keep the queasy feeling at bay by doing a quick recall of what he knew about his soon-to-be in-laws.

Melinda had grown up in Providence, but her parents had moved to Boston a few years before when the war took its toll on her father's exporting business. The couple now rented an apartment in town and Melinda's father worked as an accountant in a small firm. Adam knew that her parents had seen some hard times and had lost much of their fortune, but by their daughter's assessment, they were holding their own.

He had met William and Margaret Hayworth back when he'd attended college and they'd visited William's sister, Lynne. Adam and Melinda were already keeping company at the time, so he he'd spent the day with the family.

Since he'd returned to Boston, he'd only met with Melinda's father to tell him of their intention to marry. Adam liked William and considered him honorable, reasonable, and intelligent, with an easy sense of humor.

However, his initial impressions of Margaret had been less positive. Melinda's mother had wielded a sharp and unrestrained tongue twelve years ago, and he suspected that time had not dulled that edge. She had left him slack-jawed with her quickly rendered judgments years ago when they'd been together, and he feared that this outing would have some "interesting" moments as well.

Adam glanced over at Melinda as he drove. Her hands were clenched tightly on the handle of her straw handbag and her jaw was firmly set. She wasn't a chatty person, yet she was unusually quiet this morning. At the beginning of the ride, she'd told him a bit about her sister and brother-in-law, including the fact that they were childless, and suggested that it would be best to stay away from that topic. He'd asked her if there were any subjects to avoid with her mother and she'd rolled her eyes and sighed, saying, "There's no way to avoid anything when it comes to Mother. She'll take the conversation wherever she wants it and the best you can do is smile and hold on." After that she'd drifted into silence.

Melinda finally pointed to a large home with a sweeping front porch and said, "That's it." Adam pulled the horse to a stop, set the brake and came around to help her down. His fiancée usually snuck a kiss when he had his arms around her waist, but this time she seemed stiff as he lifted her. He took her hand and held it tightly on the way to the house, and as they got to the steps, he leaned over to whisper, "It will be all right, Melinda. We can handle anything together."

She gave him a weak smile as they reached the door. "Here we go," she said as she entered without knocking, placed their hats on the rack by the front door and escorted Adam into the parlor where her family awaited.

The two women in the room were in such a deep discussion that they didn't hear the couple walk in.

Melinda's father spoke loudly as he pointed at Adam and Melinda, "They're here."

The conversation ended abruptly as a young woman bearing a resemblance to Melinda, moved quickly to hug her sister. Melinda made the introductions. "Adam, this is my middle sister, Miranda, and her husband, Lloyd Samuels."

Adam gave Miranda a peck on the cheek and shook Lloyd's hand, saying. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. Melinda has told me that I'm in for a real treat today, since Miranda is an excellent cook." Looking around, he added, "You have a beautiful home."

Miranda blushed slightly as she offered her thanks, while Lloyd boasted, "It's the biggest on the block and has the nicest view by far. It's the best or nothing for us."

Melinda took Adam over to her mother next. He bowed slightly and tried to keep his tone pleasant. "It's been a few years, Mrs. Hayworth, but you haven't changed a bit." His teeth began to grind with the first words out of the woman's mouth.

"It's not my fault that it's been such a long time, Mr. Cartwright. You've been back in Boston several months already, and while you've had time to speak to my husband and propose to my daughter, you still haven't seen fit to call on me." Her tight smile did nothing to lessen the slap of her words.

Melinda came to Adam's defense as her cheeks turned crimson. "Mother, Adam has had a lot of things to sort out since returning. His grandfather was ill; he started a new job…"

"Your mother is right," Adam asserted as he smiled at Melinda and then turned his attention to her mother again. "It was rude of me not to visit." He took Margaret's hand, kissed it and then gave her his most disarming smile. "I offer my sincerest apologies." Trying to turn the topic, he added, "May I say that your two daughters are as beautiful as their mother."

The woman's voice had the quality of fingernails on slate. "We have another daughter, Marie. She was going to be here today, but she just lost a…she isn't well. Her husband sent word that they won't be coming. She _might_ have made it if we could have received you when you first returned."

Melinda face was set in a scowl. "I've already sent Marie a telegram, Mother, telling her how sad I am to hear the news. She sent one back saying that she can't wait to meet Adam and that they will visit as soon as she feels stronger." She sighed, and then added, "And you know it's not Adam's fault that we haven't come sooner. I've been away a lot. This is our first chance to visit together."

Margaret dismissed Melinda's comment with a wave of her hand. "You and that silly job. I'm sure Adam will want you to quit now that you're getting married."

Adam gave his fiancée's hand a squeeze as he spoke out. "I am very impressed by Melinda's work, and it is her choice to continue on with it as long as _she_ wishes."

The woman huffed in indignation. "What have you gotten yourself into Melinda! Won't your husband make enough to support your household? A man with a decent income would want his wife making a comfortable home, not off working." Margaret ended with an imperious look at her future son-in-law.

Adam's spoke tersely through slightly-clenched teeth. "I have no doubt that Melinda will keep a gracious house whether she works or not. Furthermore, I lived with my father and two brothers, so we all learned to do household chores and I will continue to do so in my own home."

William came over to shake Adam's hand and changed the subject as his wife gave a loud harrumph. "It's good to see you again, Adam. How's your new job?"

"It's keeping me very busy and offering some interesting challenges."

Both men ignored Margaret's muttered, "Apparently 'interesting' work doesn't pay well."

Melinda's father ended the confrontation as he shepherded the men to the far side of the room to engage in "manly" topics while Miranda led the women to the kitchen for the final meal preparations.

Miranda poked her sister once they were out of earshot of the men and their mother. "Adam sure is good looking, Melvin. I just hope he takes care of himself after you're married. Lloyd used to be more handsome, but he's let himself get that pot belly and double chin. It's hard to see the man he used to be with all that extra bulk."

Her eyes shot open as she choked back her surprise at her sister's comment. "Manda!" Melinda said as she giggled. "You can't blame a man for putting on a little weight if his wife is as good a cook as you are."

"I wouldn't mind the weight if it didn't make him such a grouch, and a slug about 'other' things."

Melinda had a good idea what her sister meant, but prodded her anyway, "What 'other' things?"

Miranda looked around to make sure their mother was still rearranging the table settings in the dining room before moving closer to whisper, "You know…in the bedroom. Most nights he just rolls over and says he's tired…even when I pester him a little and let him know I'm interested." Her eyes went dreamy as she sighed. "I bet a man like your Adam won't ever roll over to go to sleep if you let him know you'd like to, ah, you know, do something together."

Melinda's cheeks grew hot as she remembered how Adam had responded to her touch a few days earlier and turned away as she busied herself placing rolls into a dish. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Her added, "but I can't wait to find out," prompted her sister to start giggling.

When Margaret entered the kitchen she stared at her daughters and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Melinda told me a joke," Miranda lied.

Margaret wanted to hear it as well and left in huff when Melinda told her, "You wouldn't understand it, Mother."

Adam realized that he wasn't as recovered as he thought he was when he walked into the dining room. He hadn't told Melinda that he'd been awake most of the night with severe stomach pain and upheaval. He'd had a crab dish at a harbor-side restaurant the day before and assumed that something in the concoction hadn't agreed with him. Now his stomach did a flip as he observed the array of food waiting on the table. Everything looked appetizing, giving testimony to the truth of what Melinda had said about her sister's ability in the kitchen. It was simply the mixture of aromas that was overpowering to his recovering digestive system.

Melinda noticed his sour look and led him back into the parlor. "Will you be able to handle this, Adam?" she asked with concern.

He nodded. "Will I offend your sister if I don't eat much?"

"I already told Miranda that you were a little under the weather." She winked at him. "Of course I waited until Mother was out of the room. I don't want her making it into an issue. Manda understands and said she'll send leftovers home with us to enjoy later when you're up to it. Do your best and don't worry. My mother's chatter and nastiness will probably be harder to digest than anything you eat."

Lloyd was decanting a deep red wine into goblets when they returned to the table. Adam became hopeful that a few sips of a dry cabernet or burgundy might help to settle his stomach. He waited for Lloyd to take his seat before raising his glass in a toast to the host and hostess, thanking them for their hospitality. His disappointment registered in a brief grimace when the syrupy-sweet table wine skimmed over his tongue. It produced a nice warming effect as it slid down the back of his throat, but the high sugar content did nothing to ease the roiling in his gut.

The various bowls of food were passed after William offered grace, and Adam took a small serving from each dish. No one seemed to take notice that his plate wasn't heaped full, and he hoped that if he could finish the food he'd taken, Miranda would be satisfied that he'd liked the meal. Conversation lagged as people ate and he was already planning his escape, deciding how he and Melinda might make a graceful exit with the promise of getting together again soon. If questions arose about the wedding, he would simply suggest that Melinda meet with her mother and sister in a day or two to talk further. His goal now was to get home and rest.

He should have known better. His final morsel of food was en-route to his mouth when the inquisition began.

Lloyd asked, "Where do you work Adam? Father mentioned earlier that you had started a new job but I don't recall him saying what it was."

"I'm an engineer at Wadsworth Development."

It was a simple question and answer, and it could have stopped there, but the exchange brought Margaret out of her post-prandial stupor. "What sort of place is that? I've never heard of it."

William told her, "It's the oldest and largest engineering group in Boston, dear. The Wadsworth family has been part of this city since its inception, and has been at the forefront of its growth. Just about every building has some connection to the Wadsworth name. A position there is not easily won. Many people wait years for a chance to work there because a job at Wadsworth insures a high salary and recognition in the engineering field."

Margaret sniffed as she looked across the table. "Then how did Adam get in there?" A gasp from her husband made her clarify. "I don't mean that he isn't good at whatever it is he does, but he just got to town. Why would they take him over someone else who's been waiting longer?"

"I'm sure Adam's credentials are topnotch or they wouldn't have hired him," William professed as he tried to end the topic and move on to another. He addressed Adam, "Melinda told me that you two had tickets to a Haydn symphony. Have you attended that already? "

Margaret was not dissuaded and barged into the conversation again. "It just doesn't seem right that he can come to town and grab a position that others have been waiting for. He can't be that good at what he does."

Adam sighed with resignation. "I have known the Wadsworth family for several years, Mrs. Hayworth. Frank Junior was my roommate when I attended Harvard, and I was often invited to the Wadsworth home. Frank Senior was aware that I'd worked on engineering projects out west and in Sacramento that are similar to several ventures that he has in the works here. He needs help with those and offered me a position.

"I'm surprised at that." Margaret looked down her nose while addressing Adam.

Adam knew he should let a sleeping dog lie. He knew it with all certainty, and yet he poked. "What surprises you about that, Mrs. Hayworth?"

"I'm surprised that such an old and prestigious family would welcome in a commoner. That just isn't done in Boston. I can see putting their son at a university to experience what the rest of the world is like, but to actually invite you to their home…well I don't understand."

Melinda gasped this time. "Mother! Adam is hardly a commoner. He graduated at the top of his class and comes from a fine old Boston family."

Margaret perked up, while asking dryly. "How interesting; what family is that?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Adam replied, "While my family does have a long history here, there is no aristocracy in my bloodline. Perhaps the finest quality about the Wadsworth family is that they welcome people into their home regardless of their background, and see the worth in a person rather than judging them on social standards. It's probably the reason they remain so successful in these changing times. I'm honored to call them my friends and to be working for Frank."

She waved her hand dismissively. "I didn't mean to imply that you weren't good enough, dear, but the finer families I know would never allow their children to associate with their 'roommates' outside of school unless they were social equals. It just isn't proper." Without batting an eye, she added, "By the way, Adam, please call me Mother rather than Mrs. Hayworth. Both my other sons-in-laws call me Mother, so you should too."

His eyes darted toward Melinda to see what she might be thinking of this turn of events. She looked back while shrugging slightly as her eyebrows lifted. They hadn't discussed this possibility. Adam called Melinda's father, William, but hadn't even thought about what he would call her mother. He began, "Perhaps we can speak privately about this, Mrs. Hayworth."

Margaret glared at him and then at Melinda. "What is there to discuss? It's a sign of respect."

Adam heard Melinda groan under her breath and hoped she would be supportive of what he was about to say. "As I said, I had hoped to have this discussion privately. I mean no disrespect to you, but I cannot call you Mother. I will call you Margaret, Mrs. Hayworth, or some other name of affection that you'd prefer, but not Mother."

The standoff continued as she stared Adam down. "You may _mean_ no disrespect but I am certainly feeling disrespected." She looked at her daughter. "I think you need to have a discussion with your intended husband about this. I will not tolerate insolence from either of you."

Unfortunately, Adam knew he was going to have to explain his rationale before this became a brouhaha. He steeled himself and focused on Margaret. "I am loath to discuss such private issues in front of others. But since you are intent on being hurt by something that is not meant to be hurtful, I will explain. My own mother died when I was born, so I was never able to call her what you are asking me to call you. Since I couldn't honor my own mother with that appellation, I find it impossible to use it for another, no matter how deserving they might be."

Margaret slumped back in her chair, visibly deflated for an instant, but she recovered just as quickly. Sitting forward while wearing an ingratiating smile, she sniped, "Well why didn't you just say that from the beginning, dear? You may call me Margaret."

He exhaled and smiled back as he took Melinda's hand under the table, wishing he could communicate his desire to leave with some sort of hand signal. He recalled that when he and his brothers had gone to a social event that they hadn't been looking forward to attending, they'd always planned some visual sign to let the other two know that it was time to go. _Drat_ , he thought, I _should have remembered that sooner._ He hoped this last go-round would end the conversation, but he felt a weight fall back on his shoulders as Margaret asked, "So have you two set a date for your wedding?"

Melinda looked around the table and said enthusiastically, "We just found out that Adam's father is in Washington. He's finished there and will arrive in Boston tomorrow to stay for two weeks. Adam and I are planning to be married while he's here."

William spoke first. "I read something in the D.C. section of the New York Times about a Ben Cartwright testifying at a hearing in Washington. I even brought the paper home from work to show everyone. Might that be your father, Adam?"

"Yes," Adam replied, "I didn't realize he was nearby until I got his telegram the day he arrived in Washington. Of course he'd written of his coming, but as Melinda and I know all too well, letters are often delayed."

"I look forward to meeting him," William spoke sincerely.

Adam had been watching Margaret's face, and knew that she was not happy. There was no further need to wonder what she was thinking as she blurted out, "What is the meaning of this? How can the two of you even consider being married so soon? What kind of wedding can we plan in a week or two, and goodness, people will think that you two need to be married in haste. It will ruin our good name."

William shook his head as he turned toward his wife. "What good name is that, Margaret? We really don't know anyone in Boston, so why worry about what others have to say. I think this sounds perfect."

Melinda grinned at Adam as she took a poke at her mother as well, "We do have to get married, Mother."

Margaret shrieked as she slumped back against her chair again. "How could you do this to me? We'll be disgraced."

Her daughter laughed openly at her mother's hysterics. "Relax, Mother. I just meant that Adam and I have waited a long time to be together and there's no reason why we should put our wedding off any longer. We would like a small gathering of our family and friends as soon as possible."

The older woman would not be comforted. "But every bride should have a beautiful wedding…in a church with a large party after."

Melinda was squeezing Adam's hand so tightly under the table that her nails were digging into his palm. She finally confronted Margaret. "Every woman should have a beautiful wedding, Mother? Don't you remember telling me a few years ago that I was an old maid and should I ever decide to marry, I should do it quietly so that your friends wouldn't find out about it? You said I was an embarrassment since my younger sisters had to marry ahead of me, and there was no reason to make a big to-do about any marriage I'd broker in the future."

Adam took his hand from Melinda's and shook it to get the blood flowing again before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her near. "I assure all of you that Melinda and I have talked about what we'd like, and since we are both adults, we will have the wedding that suits us best. You are welcome to disagree, but we don't want to hear about it."

Through all the discussions, Lloyd had continued to drain and refill his wine glass. His eyes were drifting and his words slurred as he asked something that Adam hoped had gone unnoticed. "Say Cartwright, I notish you barely ate anything and only took a sip of the wine. Wha's with you? Wasn't it good enough?"

Adam was quick to respond, "Everything was delicious." He smiled broadly at Miranda who looked back knowingly. "I cleaned my plate, didn't I?"

Still stung by the earlier exchange, Margaret took her shot as well. "Oh, I'm sure he's not being 'disrespectful,' Lloyd, but what can you expect from a western farmer? He doesn't have the palate for good food and wine that we do. He probably grew up eating all sorts of critters, canned beans and boiled potatoes."

Adam couldn't help himself. He was grinning wickedly as he asked in a twang, "What sort of critters might you think we done et, ma'am?"

Not catching the sarcasm, she replied, "Let's see…don't _you people_ eat rabbits, squirrels, possums, and even snakes? I'm not saying it's bad. I'm sure that when you can't afford fine meat and suitable staples, you need to use what's available. It will take some time for you to recognize the finer things in life."

Adam choked on his laughter, as Margaret huffed loudly and added, "When I think of all the sophisticated and rich young men I introduced Melinda to over the years…" She looked pointedly at her daughter. "Why couldn't you marry someone who was worthy of you and this family!"

Melinda shouted, "Mother!" but was drowned out by her father's angry rebuke. "Margaret! Please be quiet. If you'd read once in a while, you might have actually perused the article I showed you about Adam's father and family. They own the largest ranch in Nevada. I think the paper set it at a thousand square miles of prime grazing land and timber. The Cartwrights raise thousands of beef cattle; they aren't farmers. And here's the part that will interest you the most, dear, the article also said that the Cartwrights are considered one of the shrewdest, most influential…and _wealthiest_ families in the West"

Margaret huffed, "Well how am I supposed to know all that? I thought Melinda said that Adam grew up on a farm. She never said they were good at what they did."

William gave his wife a wilting look. "Do you ever really listen to anyone but yourself, Margaret? Melinda told us about Adam's background many times. There's no reason for you not to remember a few particulars about the man your daughter wants to marry. You would remember if it was important to you, and you'll probably remember now that you've heard that the Cartwrights are well-off and highly thought of."

His wife rolled her eyes in response. "How you do go on, William. Stop scolding me in front of our children. I do listen; I don't always remember what I hear. I'm not even sure where Nevada is and I don't know what raising beef cattle entails or whether having a lot of them means more than having a few. And what's the difference there is between a ranch and a farm? The farmers I've known always had cows so I assumed it was the same thing with the Cartwrights."

Adam tried to bring the discussion to a sufferable ending by smiling kindly at Margaret. "I'll be most happy to explain ranching sometime in the future, Margaret. You're right; it isn't easy to understand what running a property like ours encompasses unless you've seen the wide open spaces out West. We aren't gentry by any means, but my family is successful at what we do." He winked at her. "And I have eaten a few rabbits and squirrels when we were on the trail moving cattle, but we have an excellent cook at our home and an exceptional wine cellar. We also went regularly to San Francisco where we ate at fine restaurants and attended the symphony and opera. I can assure you that I will never embarrass your daughter or the rest of this family."

Margaret blushed but raised her head defiantly. "I am only worried for my daughter's sake, you understand. A mother wants what's best for her children and I don't want Melinda to marry unequally. I've seen other marriages where one of the couple is superior, and those unions always end up being a disaster."

Melinda had been quiet but stared her mother down again. "Adam is more cultured and refined than I am, Mother. He's also courageous, intelligent, well-read, highly respected and he had a fine upbringing. There will be no further speculation about him. Actually, after this meal, I wonder whether he still thinks I'm a suitable match for him."

A soft huff came from Margaret's side of the table, but she said nothing more.

Adam began to rise from his chair while thanking Miranda and Lloyd. "I think that Melinda and I need to take our leave. I have things to finish preparing for my father's arrival tomorrow." He had almost made it to a full stand when he was forced to take his seat again

"Sit down, Adam. No one leaves just yet," Miranda scolded. "I've been very quiet while all this falderal was going on, but now I'm asserting that we will end this meal on a happy note. Everyone stays until we have dessert. And while we enjoy that, we will speak only of pleasant things." She rose, pointing toward the arched entry to the parlor. "Father, take Adam into the other room. Mother and Melinda can clear the table, and I'll need Lloyd's help for a few minutes. We'll be out with coffee and pie in a little bit."

Adam continued through the parlor and out the front door to sit on the porch steps. The mention of pie had sent his stomach into a dive again and he trusted that some fresh air would help settle the backwash heading up his esophagus. William followed and sat next to him.

The longsuffering older man began to speak without a preamble. "That couldn't have been an agreeable meal for you, Adam. Margaret was pretty…outspoken."

Adam shrugged. "I should have visited her sooner. She was offended and that probably set the tone."

"She wasn't always like this," William confided, but laughed as he saw Adam's eyebrows rise. "You would have had to know her many years ago, but it's true. She was witty and spoke her mind, but she wasn't harsh as she is now."

"What happened?"

William looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping at the windows. "Life, I suppose. I think we all assume our lives will go one way and when they don't, we change. Margaret was a happy woman, but something happened to her after Miranda was born. She became very sad, had a hard time just getting out of bed each day to take care of the two girls, and cried continuously. The doctor told us that this sometimes happened after a child is born, but that didn't make life any easier. My sister, Lynne, stepped in and took Melinda for a time to give Margaret a chance to get over whatever it was that was making her ill."

"Did that help?"

"Yes. But around the time she recovered, Margaret found that she was carrying Marie. Thankfully she didn't drift into that sad place again, but we still all tried to make things as easy as possible for her. Lynne kept Melinda with her a good deal of time over the next few years and the two of them became very close. I always thought that Margaret appreciated the help, but sometimes I think that's when the sniping started. She's particularly tough on Melinda and not as critical with Marie or Miranda."

"Parents are often hardest on the eldest child and get a little easier on the younger ones."

William chuckled, "Are you speaking from experience?"

Adam laughed but said no more.

"I don't want you to think that Margaret was a bad mother, Adam. I don't know if Melinda even realizes it, but a lot of the techniques she uses in her teaching program were things that Margaret did with the girls when they were young. Melinda was independent, headstrong, and creative from the time she was little, so she butted heads regularly with her mother. What neither of them saw was that mother and daughter were very much alike in those attributes."

After a brief pause, William continued, "My sister was what people call an old maid…and worse, but she liked who she was and never let the world tell her how to think or act. Melinda loved that about her and adopted her philosophies about many things as she got into her teens. She finally stayed in Boston to attend school, and Lynne secured the position of governess for her in Boston with the Warnimonts. That's when you met her. We have learned more about Lynne's philosophies since she passed and know now that they were quite liberal for the age we live in. My sister was never overt about her lifestyle when Melinda was around, but I'm sure that her free-thinking ideas about woman's equality and rights did appeal to my daughter."

Adam smiled. "Speaking for myself, I'm glad that Melinda spent so much time at her aunt's home. From your description of your sister, I suppose it was her influence that makes Melinda so sure of herself and able to speak her mind."

"Partly… but Margaret was like that too, so Melinda had two strong women to model herself after. One thing that Lynne showed my daughter was that a woman should only marry for love."

Adam sat back, leaning his elbows on a higher step. "I guess I'm glad about that too."

"Lynne had a great love in her life as well. She was never able to marry the man, and faced severe criticism for remaining single. Her theory was that it was better to have known great love and remain alone, rather than to marry only to conform to the expectations of others."

"Melinda said something similar to me."

"Lynne was an artist, a poet and a free spirit who remained independent, but never alone. She was surrounded by friends and had a good life until her mind went bad. Melinda's fire grew into courage while she was with Lynne and when we were all concerned that she wouldn't marry and have a family of her own, Melinda told us that she had met the only person she could foresee being with and she wouldn't settle for a substitute. I believed her and didn't press the issue. I am extremely proud of my daughter's accomplishments, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about her. I don't want you to ever hurt her again."

Adam tipped his head as his face wrinkled in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir. I have never meant to hurt her."

William did not appear to be a strong man, but he looked at Adam with eyes fired by protective fierceness. "Yes, I know that. But I don't think you know how hurt she was when she came home from Sacramento."

Adam shook his head, still not understanding.

"It was there that she found out that you _had_ settled for a substitute. She felt that you had remained single, perhaps not knowing exactly why, but feeling that something was missing. But then after coming so close to figuring it out, you wavered. Of course you wrote later to tell her that the marriage hadn't taken place."

"I've been accused of having a very thick skull. It takes me a little longer to see what's right in front of me." There was a moment of silence that was broken when Adam added, "You and your daughter have a close bond."

"We do. Melinda knows that she can tell me anything." He thought about that statement. "Let me rephrase that; she doesn't tell me everything. She tells me how she feels and she's very happy right now. See to it that she remains that way."

The door opened as Lloyd stuck his head out and summoned Adam and William back inside. William made his way past his son-in-law, but as Adam tried to pass, Lloyd took his arm and held him back. "I'm sorry about my rude comment earlier, Adam. Miranda told me why you didn't eat much."

"No harm done, Lloyd." Adam tried to move forward, but Lloyd's hand remained on his arm. As he looked at his host, he saw a nervous look cross Lloyd's face before it settled into an eerie smile. The man's breath had the lingering smell of the sweet wine from dinner, making Adam turn his head away as Lloyd spoke again.

"I read that article about your father before coming out to get you. I admit I had no idea that your family was so… ah, prosperous. I think I have something you'd be very interested in hearing about."

Adam had no idea what Lloyd was talking about and no patience for whatever game his host was playing. "We should probably get inside. I wouldn't want to keep Margaret waiting."

"They won't miss us for a minute or two." Lloyd looked around furtively before revealing his intent. "I have an opportunity that I'd like to tell you about. I can only allow a few people to get in on this. You could make a small fortune."

"I never mix social engagements with financial discussions," Adam replied as he smiled while removing Lloyd's hand from his arm. "If you have something you'd like me to see, please send me a prospectus and I'll look it over and get back to you if I'm interested."

Melinda and Adam said their goodbyes after finishing dessert and made their way to their buggy. Lloyd left the group on the porch and sidled up to Adam before he reached the boulevard, saying, "I'll stop by your office tomorrow and give you the details of that deal I mentioned."

"That won't work for me. My father is due in tomorrow." Adam hoped this would defer the talk until sometime in the future…the distant future to be precise.

Lloyd was undeterred. "Oh, that's even better! Your father will be interested in hearing about this as well."

Adam assisted Melinda and then climbed into the rig as he tried a final time to dissuade Lloyd. "I'd prefer we schedule another day. Send me your work address along with the information and I'll stop at your office to see you if it looks promising." He gave the horse an overly-enthusiastic slap with the reins and the carriage jolted as they pulled away before Lloyd could say any more. Adam sighed with relief as he looked back while rounding the first corner, grateful to see that the man had not pursued them on foot. They passed a jewelry store with a large clock in the window and Adam was amazed to see that It was only was a few minutes after two. He felt as if he'd been held captive for several hours rather than a mere three.

Melinda remained quiet until they were several blocks away from her sister's home. She finally laid her hand on Adam's arm. "Remember the other day when you said that if I wanted to back out of the wedding you wouldn't hold it against me?" Not waiting for an answer, she added, "Well I'm offering you the same chance."

His puzzled half-grin turned into a chuckle. "Now why would I do that?"

"Weren't we just with my family? That ought to be enough to give anyone second thoughts."

"I like your father very much, and your sister is pleasant and a fine hostess. That just leaves your mother, and Lloyd. One thing about Margaret is that you never have to wonder what she's thinking." He laughed at Melinda's sour look. "But I'm not marrying Margaret. If it gets too hard to live in the same city with her, we'll move."

"Where?"

"Far, far away." They both laughed, before Adam asked, "What do you know about what Lloyd does for a living?"

"Not a lot. I think he looks for thing to invest in, and then finds investors. Why do you ask?"

Adam bit the inside of his cheek while considering how to phrase his thought. He wasn't sure why he felt uneasy about Lloyd, but he did. "He became very resolute about having me invest in some big opportunity he has in the works. He only said a few words to me all day, and then suddenly wanted to be my pal and make me rich. It seemed odd."

"He once asked me to invest but I was helping my parents get settled here at the time and didn't have any money to spare. I think he has done well for himself and my sister, yet I suspect they're having money problems now. Miranda said they had to cut back on several things they used to do." She paused. "But I suppose everyone has had some financial setbacks because of the war."

"I guess I can hear him out. I hope it won't cause problems if I don't like what he has to say. I remember a time when I invested in something with my brothers and it went badly." He grinned as recalled the thoroughbred that he and Hoss had bought together…and then lost to their youngest brother. "It's always a caution to get into money matters with family."

Melinda leaned onto his shoulder as he drove. "I'm sorry for my mother's nastiness. She has never understood much about me, so I'm not surprised that she picked you apart too."

He slowed the horse to be able to look at Melinda. "You aren't responsible for what your mother says and I'm sure she'll ease up a bit as she gets to know me better." A wicked grin replaced his sincere look. "And as concerns some uncomfortable dinner parties, you'll have to ask my father about some of things my brothers and I did to him when he brought guests to our house."

"Oh? What sort of things?" She quickly forgot her family as she waited to hear about his.

"My brothers and I were little less than outright rude to an old friend Pa brought home for dinner once. All three of us were astonished that he'd even think about seeing an 'actress.' So we pulled him aside and had a little talk with him before he left for the theater with her, and then…"

Melinda was practically bouncing on the seat. "And then, what?"

"Suffice it to say that we embarrassed ourselves badly while trying to prove how unsuitable _she_ was. In the end, we found out that she was an intriguing woman. We weren't kids when this happened either, and it surprised all of us that we held opinions based on what we thought a person would be like because of her occupation, rather than getting to know her."

Melinda considered Adam's admission with great interest. In their years apart she had always imagined him as being a man who didn't let the vagaries of life buffet him as lesser people did. But she was learning differently, and she loved this man even more. Two years ago she'd found out that he had asked another woman to marry him even though he knew it didn't feel right. He'd admitted that to Melinda in the letter he wrote after the engagement was terminated, saying that his desire to have a family had overridden his heart telling him that it wasn't the right time or person. Then she'd found out the other day that her actions, even though misunderstood, had wounded him, making him think that she was not physically attracted to him. And now, she'd learned that he sometimes made judgments that were incorrect. Her conclusion was that while some people might continue through life making the same mistakes, Adam learned from his.

Her silence continued as she thought about how much she wanted to be married, and concluded that this would be the longest 14 days of her life.

Melinda was still deep in thought when she noticed that Adam grimaced and leaned forward for a moment, and left her thoughts behind to take a good look at him. "Are you still feeling poorly? You seem flushed." She laid the back of her hand against his forehead and was astonished at the heat she felt. "You're going straight to bed when we get back."

He leered at her as he teased, "And will you be joining me there?"

"That better be the fever talking." She tried to appear outraged at the comment, but broke into a giggle. "Seriously, Adam, you are sick and need to rest."

"Let's keep talking about other things, my dear. I don't think about how bad I feel when we're talking."

"I can do that," she promised. "I have a question. What were you and my father talking about on the porch? I looked out the window and you two seemed to be having a serious conversation."

He slowed the horse as they neared Abel's house. "He told me that I have to keep you happy."

She motioned him to continue driving. "Go to the livery instead of dropping me off. I'll walk back with you." After he agreed, she asked, "What did you tell him?"

He parried her question with one of his own. "What did you say to your sister about me?" When she refused to answer he teased, "Seems like we'll each have a secret then."


	2. Til Death Do Us Part - Part 2

**Part II**

 **Ado's, To-dos, Set-tos and General Mayhem**

 **One**

 **A Deal Too Good to Refuse**

Adam dragged himself out of bed on Monday morning feeling much the same as he had the previous day. He'd done as Melinda suggested when he'd gotten home after the family dinner and had gone to bed. But there had been no rest as he'd resumed the activities of the night before, and had only fallen into a fitful sleep toward morning. Looking in the mirror while washing up he noted that his cheeks had a pink glow. He brought his arm to his forehead to confirm the fever to which his soaked sheets and red face already testified. "I don't have time for this," he crabbed.

Just the thought of putting on a wool suit coat made him sweat more, so he opted for a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and open collar. Although he normally took a quick walk next door to see Melinda each morning, they had gone over the plans before parting company yesterday. He was leaving for work early and this gave him a little extra time to make sure everything was set for his father's arrival.

On his way downstairs, Adam checked his mother's bedroom to make sure Mrs. McIntyre had removed the covers from the furniture and opened the windows to air it out. When he had stayed in this house during his college years, Adam had often gone into Elizabeth's room trying to imagine what his mother had been like by looking over the items she had collected. Abel had changed nothing in the room since his daughter's death, so her presence had remained frozen in time.

Since his return to Boston he hadn't cracked the door to her room until today. It wasn't that he'd found out all there was to know about her or that he cared less about her history. It was more that in those first five years, his grandfather had been able to help him see the parts of Elizabeth that lived on in her son. Finding his mother within himself had given him peace about what he had lost and he no longer needed to surround himself with her possessions to feel her presence. He was always aware that everything was still there behind the door if he needed them, but he was looking toward his future this time, rather than reflecting on his past.

Abel was already up and waiting for him at the table when he got downstairs. "Another rough night?" he asked his grandson.

Adam nodded as he looked dubiously at the platter of eggs and bacon. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"You didn't. It's only that you still look a little green around the gills. I'd say you were seasick if we were actually at sea. Any idea what might be causing it?"

"I thought perhaps some bad crab from the other day, but now I'm not as sure. I'll be fine."

Sadie McIntyre entered the room carrying a pot of tea and a plate of toast that she placed in front of Adam. "Try this, dear. It might do well to settle your stomach. There's honey on the table. Use that in the tea and on the toast; honey can cure just about everything."

"Thank you, Sadie." The tea did go down easily and he chewed on a piece of toast as he contemplated the day ahead. Turning to his grandfather, Adam said, "Mike is stopping by in a few minutes to take me to work. That will leave the buggy at the livery for you and Pa.

"What time is he due to arrive?" Abel asked.

Adam smiled as he told him again, "Four this afternoon. He hoped to finish a few last things yesterday and if that happened, then he'll be here this morning. I was going to meet him at the station, but Pa said that since he isn't sure which train he'll be on, he'll get a cab and meet me here instead." He had told Abel this same information several times over the last few days, but one leftover from his grandfather's stroke was an occasional difficulty holding onto non-immediate dates and times. His grandfather hadn't been having problems with this recently, so Adam suspected that this bit of forgetfulness was spurred by Abel's excitement at seeing Ben again.

The tea and toast settled nicely into Adam's empty stomach and he was rewarded with a burst of energy. He used it to clean up his room and was ready by the time his coworker pulled up outside the house. Abel was still sipping coffee and perusing the paper as Adam gathered his hat and case. "I won't be home for lunch today but I'll come home early. I'm sure you and Pa have a few years to catch up on, so you won't miss me."

He poked his head into the kitchen where the housekeeper was busy mixing batter for the cake pans waiting on the cupboard. "Thanks for everything, Mrs. McIntyre. The house looks great and the tea was just the thing this morning."

Sadie blew a stray hair away from her face as she stopped stirring to wave goodbye. Adam knew she was counting strokes and wouldn't say anything that would break her concentration.

The morning passed so quickly that Adam didn't have time to think about the constant feeling of unease in his alimentary system. He managed to take a few sips of the chicken broth he'd picked up at the café next door, yet it was enough to leave him feeling a little better again as he settled in for an afternoon of figuring foundation specifications for a new project he was supervising. Lost in a world of equations, he didn't hear the whispers and excited chattering going on outside his office, and he was startled when he heard someone speak from the doorway.

"Might you be Adam Cartwright, the new young gun at this firm?"

A broad smile replaced the frown of concentration even before he looked up. He laid his pencil down and rose to greet his guest. "Pa! Welcome to Boston!" Father and son shook hands vigorously before ending their greeting in an embrace. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, but I'm glad you found your way over. Is Grandfather with you?"

"I got lost a few times on the way here, but I did better than I thought after all the years away. Abel said he preferred to rest for a bit. I suspect he thought you and I might like some time alone." Ben took a minute to look around Adam's office and gave his son a look of pride. "You're doing well for yourself. This is some office."

"It helps to know the owner."

Ben laid an arm around his son's shoulder. "Knowing how hard you work and the way you always throw yourself into any project, I'm sure Wadsworth knows that he's getting the better end of this deal."

Adam had his father sit in an overstuffed leather chair and then put him through a friendly cross examination about everything that was going on back home. It came as no surprise to hear that Little Joe was in love. His father also said that Hoss was working harder than ever on the ranch, and since Hop Sing still cooked for four, Hoss thought it was only right to eat for two rather than disappoint the cook. Ben's description of the goings on at home had Adam laughing appreciatively until the office clerk came to the door and interrupted.

"There's a Lloyd Samuels to see you, Mr. Cartwright. He says you're expecting him."

A look of anger crossed Adam's face as he told the young man to send Lloyd in.

Ben asked, "Would you like me to leave?"

"Please don't, Pa. This guy is married to Melinda's sister, and I just met him yesterday. He has some sort of business deal he's anxious to tell me about and wanted to stop today. I told him not to come, but we might as well give him a couple of minutes and get this over with. After that we'll go look at a few of the buildings I'm working on."

Lloyd practically drooled as he realized that Adam _and_ his father were in the office. He shook hands with both men and dove into his reason for stopping by. "Gentlemen, I represent a syndicate of investors who are going to build a new warehouse along a section of the harbor that's being renovated. The owners have only one share left in this venture and are anxious to get moving. The warehouse space already has a lease, and the investors expect that they should double their outlay in a few years. It's a lucrative deal and I thought you would want in on it, Adam."

Ben asked, "How many investors are there?"

"That information is confidential, but there are enough that the building can be put up without securing a loan and they should be pulling a profit in no time."

"Where is this building?" Adam asked as he passed his father a skeptical look.

"It's going up on the site of the old McCarty building."

Adam's brows nearly met as he tried to keep from grinning. "I see. How much is this share and how soon would you need the money. You make it sound like these people are in a hurry."

Lloyd hemmed and hawed a bit, before saying, "Each share is $25,000. I know that's a lot but I was thinking you and your father could go halves on it. As far as how soon, they're ready to go and would expect the money immediately."

Ben laughed heartily. "How on earth do you think I could come up with that kind of money immediately?"

Adam added, "And I'm not sure why you think I'dhave that much set aside."

Lloyd sounded peevish as he replied, "I assumed that after what William said yesterday about your family being so wealthy that you'd have money available for a good deal when you saw one."

Ben looked at Lloyd incredulously. "I'm not sure who this William is or what you're referring to, but I assure you I don't part with money until I know all the facts, and you've given us very few. Further, any money I do have is in Nevada. I have nothing available here."

Adam explained, "William is Melinda's father, Pa. He cited an article yesterday from the _New York Times_ written about the congressional investigation. It noted that you were in Washington testifying and that the Cartwright family has a large ranch. It also gave the impression that you are wealthy."

Turning his attention back to Lloyd, Adam continued, "I agree with my father. I asked you for the written details of this offering. I never invest without seeing a full disclosure of the terms. And even if this was something I'd be interested in, it could take a week or more to free up the money."

Lloyd began pacing the room, promoting the deal, not with more detailed information, just more volume. "How can either of you turn down an opportunity like this? You'd double your money in no time. No one walks away from that! No one! You can find the money. Any bank in Boston would loan you the cash based on your holdings back in Nevada. In fact I could recommend a bank for you. Why don't we go over there right now? Surely you won't let small details deter you from the chance of a lifetime!"

He could have understood disappointment or even anger at not making a quick sale, but Adam had no idea what was bothering Lloyd. The man looked frightened—like a cornered animal. When Adam looked over at his father, he saw a dumbfounded look similar to his own and knew it was time to bring this meeting to an end. "I know that we're going to be family soon, Lloyd and I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot. On the other hand, there is no way I'll invest in this. You can certainly approach me again should you have an opportunity where you're at liberty to share more information and aren't in such a hurry." When Lloyd began to protest, Adam cut him off. "I can't spend any more time on this. My father just got here and we are expected elsewhere." He extended his hand as he added, "Thank you again for entertaining me yesterday and give my regards to Miranda."

Lloyd turned without shaking Adam's hand. He stopped at the door, looked back and said, "You're going to regret not taking me up on this offer."

Once Lloyd was gone, Ben looked at his son, his mouth agape for a moment before he started to laugh. "He's going to be your brother-in-law? What's the rest of the family like?"

"Melinda's father is top notch. The sister I met is sweet and their mother is…opinionated. But I can deal with that. Lloyd made me uneasy yesterday when he first brought this up, and today, he seemed almost…"

"Desperate?" Ben suggested.

"That's exactly it! Melinda said that she suspects her sister and brother-in-law are having financial problems so that might be part of it. But there's more that doesn't add up."

"What's that, son?"

"The fact that he was so vague about the project and that there was no paperwork to support it. I honestly think he might be fabricating the whole thing."

Ben's eyes widened as he frowned. "I thought the details were sketchy, but what makes you think he's lying?"

Adam moved to the drawing table behind his desk and motioned for his father to follow. He paged through the stack of engineering drawings and pulled one from the pile, laying it out for Ben to see. "Lloyd said the group he represented was building on the McCarty site. What he doesn't know is that Wadsworth is putting up the building there. I'm working on a quote for it and have met with the owners. The site is unique because it has boat bays and a dry dock area that we can reconstruct, so it will house a shipbuilding enterprise owned by one of Boston's oldest families. I'm sure that it's all private money, Pa, but I'll check with Frank in the morning to make sure. I'd go see him right now, but he's away at meetings all day."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping to meet him, but I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to get together at some point. So what do you think is going on with Lloyd?"

"It could just be that he has the property name confused up with another place. There's a McHenry building, a McDermott building, and a McCarthy as well as McCarty building. On the other hand, he might not want investors to know where the money is really going. He's promising to double their cash, and people might jump at it if they don't check into the facts."

 **Two**

 **Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?**

Adam and Ben spent the remainder of the afternoon touring the projects Adam was working on, including the one that Lloyd had mentioned.

While they drove, Ben did his own cross-examination, finding out about the non-work things that kept his son busy. He then turned the conversation toward family, asking whether Abel's health was truly as good as it seemed, and finally said, "When do I get to meet your fiancée?"

"This evening, Pa. I expect her to arrive around five."

"Have you two made your wedding plans yet? Abel told me that she's been gone a lot but is back for good now. I imagine she'll need some time to plan the affair."

It was hard to miss the wistful look in his father's eyes. "I think we can have it arranged in two weeks."

"That's not much time, son."

Adam laughed out loud. "Why, Pa, you aren't worried about your reputation, are you? Melinda's mother said the same thing and suggested that her friends would assume we needed to tie the knot in haste."

Ben was blushing. "You know very well what I mean! I want to know if you're really going to be able to have this wedding while I'm here. I would like very much to be present, but I don't want you or Melinda to feel rushed."

The two men pulled up outside Abel's house. Adam turned to his father once they were stopped. "We both want to get married while you're here. We were seriously considering that we might elope, but your visit provided the perfect opportunity to move quickly without anyone objecting."

"What are you planning?"

"We want to be married in Abel's back yard; it's where Melinda and I first met. Grandfather has a friend, Seth, a naval chaplain, who can perform the ceremony. I purchased a ring for Melinda shortly after I proposed and it's already waiting in my dresser, so I think I'm set." He chuckled before continuing. "The men have it easier when it comes to weddings, don't they? We let the women decide on the rest of the details." Adam saw the look on his father's face and asked, "What are you grinning about?"

"This move was good for you, son. Your last year in Nevada was a tough one, but now you seem…"

"I am, Pa." Adam set the brake and exited the buggy as he thought about the word that had gone unsaid. He truly was happy, but the Cartwright family didn't speak of happiness. They ascribed the words contentment or satisfaction to their decisions, yet never spoke of the feeling that might accompany such states of mind. So many tragedies had ended times of happiness within his family. It had gotten so bad that voicing their happiness had seemed to be an omen of doom. The word remained unspoken this time as well even though Adam was hopeful that the change of location might break the string of misfortunes that had shadowed him for his entire life. "I miss you and those crazy brothers of mine, but you're right, coming here did give me a fresh start."

It was half-past six and Melinda had not yet arrived home. Abel and Ben were reminiscing about their seafaring days, but Adam couldn't keep his mind on their conversation. It wasn't like Melinda to keep others waiting. She was always prompt and would have sent a messenger if she was going to be delayed for hours. He'd expected her at five. As six o'clock had rolled around he'd became concerned, and now fear had begun to raise the hair on the back of his neck.

Mrs. McIntyre appeared in the living area to ask, "Will Miss Hayworth be along shortly? I'm thinkin' the meat will be turning to shoe leather if it stays in the oven much longer."

Adam addressed the two older men, "Pa, why don't you and Grandfather have dinner. Since the rig is still outside, I'm going to take a ride to the publishing house and see what's keeping Melinda." He grabbed his hat and was headed to the door as Ben caught up to him.

"Would you like some company?"

"Thanks, Pa, but I might miss her on the way, and I would like you to be here if she arrives before I get back."

"What is going on here?" Melinda demanded loudly after she opened her eyes and realized that she was in unfamiliar surroundings. No one answered, so she shouted again and tried to remember what had happened prior to awakening in this place.

Lloyd had shown up at her office with a big smile and the "good news" that while he'd been promoting an investment to a school principal from nearby Auburndale, he'd mentioned Melinda's work with teachers. He said the principal had already heard of her method and was anxious to speak with her before he left for home. Melinda had suggested that her assistant go for her since she wanted to get home early, but Lloyd was adamant that the man would only speak to her. He'd finally convinced her by saying this gentleman had connections that might mean a lucrative deal for her if she would take a few minutes to have coffee with him.

She'd decided that she could meet briefly with Lloyd's contact, and be on her way to Abel's on time. Lloyd had driven her to the Parker House Hotel and had introduced her to a George something-or-other before leaving with the excuse that he had another client to see. She remembered thinking that George didn't look like those usually associated with a school system. He was a large man with an offset nose that had obviously been broken and left to heal badly, and he had the pitted and blue-veined complexion of a heavy drinker. Melinda recalled thinking that he looked more like a boxer than a teacher.

She and George had entered the hotel while she'd asked questions about the Auburndale schools, and had been caught off-guard when instead of heading to the dining room as Lloyd had said they would, George had shoved her toward two other men of similar appearance who were standing in the lobby. One of the newcomers had grabbed her around the waist, and pressed the blunt end of a short gun into her ribs. He'd told her to keep walking and stay quiet or he'd use it. The group had continued on through the lobby and out the back door to a waiting coach.

That was all she could remember until waking up a few minutes ago. Her head ached and she did recall something sweet-smelling being held over her mouth and nose. While she had no idea what chloroform was like, she had read of its use to render a character unconscious in a mystery novel not long ago, and assumed that's what had been used in this instance as well. Her head swirled with each movement and for a moment she thought she might vomit. As her stomach settled again, she yelled, "Is anyone here?"

There was a rustling outside the door as a key turned in the lock and a young woman stuck her head into the room. "You'd best be quiet. Make a ruckus and I'll have to knock you out again."

Tears welled in Melinda's eyes as she asked in a softer voice, "What's going on?"

The woman came nearer the cot. "All I know is that I gotta keep you quiet."

Melinda's stomach swirled again—this time it had nothing to do with her aching head. "Can you at least tell me where I am?"

"Nope. I'll get in trouble. Is there anything I can do for you, miss?"

Melinda tried to raise her arms but remembered that her hands and feet were tied to the frame of the bed. "You might loosen these ropes so I can sit up."

"That's the one thing I can't do, lady. You want some water, I can get that, but I can't do nothing more until Georgie comes back."

Melinda said she would like that, and used the time while the girl went for the water to take stock of where she was. She assumed that she was on the second floor of a building since she could see the canopy of a tree outside the dirty window. It was still light outside but the shadows in the room were greatly elongated, indicating that it was nearly dusk. When she listened, Melinda could hear the bell of a harbor buoy and the call of seagulls in the distance. The room she was in was bare except for the bed and a dresser, and was badly in need of cleaning and upkeep, but it was enough to convince Melinda that she was in a house rather than a factory or warehouse. Putting these pieces together, she suspected that she must be in one of the seedier neighborhoods near the harbor. There had been years of effort by the city to renovate these blighted blocks of houses, but there were still some pockets of buildings being used for brothels and gambling. After seeing the painted young woman who had come to assist her, Melinda was pretty sure she knew which kind of establishment this was.

The one thing she couldn't comprehend was the reason she was here. Surely Lloyd couldn't be involved in this. He was a quiet, mousy man who was married to her even quieter sister. They lived an ordinary life. He couldn't be a criminal or associated with them…at least she had never suspected that he could be. This had to be some kind of mistake.

She closed her eyes and thought of something that did make sense: Adam. Melinda knew for certain that Adam would look for her. The scars on his body attested to the fact that he would risk his own life if he needed to. Her only question was whether he could find her. None of this was comprehensible, but she was smart enough to figure out that her life was in jeopardy. There were stories about people in Boston who disappeared and were never seen again. She began to tremble with the awareness that she might become another missing-person statistic.

Adam was reaching for the door knob as a knock startled him. He opened the door to find a messenger with an envelope for him.

Ben was soon at his son's side. "Was that Melinda?" he asked hopefully.

"No, Pa, but it might be a message explaining why she's detained." Adam ripped the envelope apart as he walked to a lamp by the sofa. As he extracted the folded page, a gold chain slid out and fell to the floor. He picked it up and his heart began to pound as he recognized it as the necklace he'd given Melinda for Christmas twelve years ago. It was a simple gold chain bearing a small oval locket. There was no picture inside, just a tiny slip of paper bearing the words, "For love's sake only." He'd noted that she'd had it on when he'd met her in Sacramento and had wondered then if she always wore it. She'd told him recently that she'd had it on every day since he'd given it to her. He was momentarily at a loss to explain the significance of it being in with the note he'd just received, and was filled with dread as he realized the chain was snapped apart. He grasped it tightly as he opened the page accompanying it. The words were printed in block letters:

 _YOU HAVE 2 DAYS TO OBTAIN $25,000. THIS AMOUNT WILL SECURE THE RELEASE OF MELINDA HAYWORTH. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN HER DEATH. WE WILL CONTACT YOU ON WEDNESDAY._

The paper drifted from Adam's hand as he dropped onto the sofa and breathed deeply to stem the nausea and dizziness that had overtaken him.

His father retrieved the note and sat next to his son as he read it and then slipped his arm around Adam's back and held him tightly. When he and Adam had spoken earlier about how good the move had been for him, Ben had thought that his son had managed to leave behind the sorrows that had plagued his family. Now he knew that wasn't true. They had followed him to Boston after all. He finally broke into Adam's daze. "Do you have any idea what this is about?"

Adam nodded. "Is there something in there that seems too coincidental, Pa?"

"The amount of the ransom. Isn't it the same as the price of the phony investment Lloyd was promoting earlier? I remember him saying that we'd be sorry for not giving him the money. Do you think he kidnapped Melinda just to get money from you?"

"Lloyd's a coward, Pa. He had to be drunk just to insult me yesterday. I don't think he'd have the guts to hold her, but I think he must be in this up to his neck. You said he sounded desperate. I think he saw us as his last hope to get a lot of cash and when we didn't give it to him, something went terribly wrong."

Adam shook off his miasma and headed upstairs without a word. Once in his room, he opened the top dresser drawer and removed a small velveteen box. The lid creaked on its tight hinges as he stared at the wedding ring inside. His equilibrium shifted as he thought of the possibility that the woman for whom he'd selected this might be mistreated. The waves of dizziness continued as held onto the dresser for support and whispered, "Melinda."

He willed himself to push the images aside and return to his mission. Lifting a stack of clean shirts from the open drawer, he exposed the familiar black leather of his holster. He hadn't worn his Colt since arriving in Boston, but it was wrapped in muslin next to the belt, oiled and ready to go. A box of bullets was tucked deeper in the drawer and he made quick work of loading six into the chambers and engaging the cylinder. With a handful of bullets stuck deep in his pocket, he glanced again at the ring box and hurried out of the room. He was buckling the gunbelt around his waist as he descended the stairs, and he smiled wryly as he saw his father similarly accessorized, waiting for him below.

Mrs. McIntyre was standing behind Abel with her hand on his shoulder; his hand resting atop hers. She told Adam, "I'll stay with Abel so don't you worry about him. Just find that beautiful lady of yours."

Abel added, "I'm not sure what I can do to help you, but I have some savings we can put toward the ransom, and the house is worth a little."

Adam went to his grandfather. "Thank you, sir. I'll try to let you know what's happening, but you and Mrs. McIntyre can help most right now by praying." He thought a moment and added, "I'll send a messenger with a note to update you if we can't get back. Please give him anything else that might be delivered here."

His voice was tinged with grief as Abel bid his grandson goodbye. "Godspeed, Adam. Have faith that this will end well."

Out on the dark, empty street, Adam swung the rig around in such a tight arc that it seemed to hover on the right set of wheels until it was turned and headed towards town.

Ben asked, "Where are we going first?"

"Lloyd's house. I'm pretty sure he'll be holed up there, pretending that there's nothing wrong."

Melinda had dozed off again after the woman brought the water, and she awoke in darkness. Awash in panic, she tried to pull her hands free and jerked at the ropes around her ankles until the pain forced her to stop and calm herself. She remembered where she was, and breathed deeply to stem her fear. She missed the light that had been drifting in the windows the last time she had awakened. Now there was only blackness, and the skittering of tiny feet across the floor beneath her. "Rats!" she said aloud and then shivered. "Chances are they really are rats, but I'll hope for mice."

Her eyes began to adjust to the dark, allowing her to see the outline of the door with a thin slit of light at the bottom. As she turned her head to look toward the window, something snagged in her hair making her heart rate double as she shrieked. Her first thought was that the rodents had made their way onto the cot. She laughed tightly as she figured out that there was no red-eyed, long-tailed menace gnawing on her. It was just her hat pulling her hair as the straw caught on the threads of the rough mattress. _How incongruous_ , she thought. _Here I am trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey and I'm still wearing my hat._

She had read books with kidnapping plots, but none of those ever brought up the topics that were plaguing her now. She was thirsty again, her stomach was rumbling with hunger and she really needed to use the outhouse. "Maybe when I'm out of here, I'll write a step-by-step book on what to do when you've been kidnapped," she said softly to calm her nerves. "There sure aren't any texts out there about that." Trying to think of other things, she recalled an actual "how to" book she had seen.

Working at a scholastic publishing house, she reviewed texts on everything from historic dissertations to detailed descriptions of how to accomplish a task. One particular manuscript sent to her recently was a guide to "marital coupling," promoted by the author as being an _instructional_ text for the newly married. Melinda's job was to gauge the educational merit of submissions before sending them on to the editor and publisher. With a first glance at the _Proficiency of Marital Unions_ , she'd blushed, returned it to its brown envelope and set it under a stack of similar-looking packages. But after remembering something her aunt had told her, she opened it again and read through it, this time taking notes…before sending the book back with a letter telling the author that it wasn't suitable for their style of publishing. Those notes were locked in her desk at home awaiting her marriage and a time to share them with Adam.

Recalling the incident with the book sent her mind off in memories her of her aunt, Lynne. The woman was thought by her family to be odd, yet Melinda had never seen her do anything scandalous or even mildly questionable in all the years she'd spent with her. However, Melinda had discovered a box of letters when she was younger. She had always admired her aunt, and hadn't ever considered that she might have led a double life. The loves letters were from the man Lynne had wanted to marry—that had come after his marriage to another woman. He'd written that he'd been forced to marry a woman from a wealthy family, but that he would always love Lynne. Then he suggested that they meet in New York to spend time together with no one being the wiser. The rest of the letters had carried on a torrid written affair, and confirmed the yearly trysts with lurid details.

Melinda had been flabbergasted years before when Lynne had taken her aside before she'd left for college, and had told her not to ever let some stuffy, tightly-corseted old crone tell her that making love to a man was something she needed to "endure" as a wifely chore. Lynne had been having some memory problems by then, and every now and then she had shared these extremely personal thoughts. She had encouraged her niece to stay open to all possibilities after she married, and to enjoy the act of lovemaking with abandon as often as possible.

What bothered the young woman most about what Lynne had done was not the sin of adultery, but rather the betrayal involved. Melinda knew what it felt like to have the man she loved choose another woman to marry. Yet she wouldn't have agreed to such an arrangement with Adam. It wasn't because she wouldn't still love him, but she knew that she could never have brought the pain of betrayal to Laura or any other woman Adam might have married. Of course things had worked out for her where they hadn't for Lynne, and Melinda was left with a deep sadness for her aunt over the decisions she'd had to make.

Her circle of thought returned her to Adam as she grasped that the situation she was in might mean that she would never see him again—never marry him or experience making love with him. She ached for him and feared losing him more than dying. "No one is going to keep me from you," she screamed at the top of her lungs. "You hear me out there? No one."

She quieted as she heard the key turn the lock. A lamp held by the pitted-faced man from earlier brightened the room slightly as he entered and gruffly told her to "shut up," before he backed out the door again.

"Please, don't go just yet," she begged apologetically. "It's so dark in here. I was just afraid and am very uncomfortable. Could you send that girl back in to help me? I promise I won't be a problem."

He paused as if deciding what to do and finally grumbled, "I guess I can do that."

A few minutes later, the painted lady returned. She placed a lamp on the rickety dresser and asked, "Whadaya need?"

"I really need to sit up for a little while. My back hurts, and I need to relieve myself." Melinda was shaken when the woman turned and left the room with no further word. "Please!" she called after her. "Please help me."

Melinda's heart returned to a more normal rhythm when the woman reappeared carrying a chamber pot. "Georgie says I can untie you for a minute to stretch and…do your other thing, but then it's back on the cot."

"What's your name?" Melinda asked softly. "I want to thank you by name."

"Most call me Maxi."

Maxi worked the knots until the ropes fell and Melinda could sit up and swing her legs off the bed. "Thank you Maxi. That feels better." Georgie had locked both women in the room, so Melinda saw no problem in asking Maxi to turn around while she used the pot. With her wardens eyes averted, Melinda removed her hat and placed it on the dresser, but wove the long hatpin through the fabric of her dress inside a fold of material.

She quickly finished her task and allowed Maxi to turn around again. "Thank you, again. Would it be possible to have something to eat? I skipped lunch today thinking I'd be getting home early to meet my future father-in-law."

Maxi's voice took on a softer edge. "You engaged?"

Melinda noticed the change and decided to share some a little more with Maxi. The woman seemed gruff one moment, yet caring the next. "Yes, I am. He's a handsome guy I met many years ago. We lost touch, and I began to think that I would never see him again. But then I met him again a couple years ago and now we are finally together."

"Sounds like you went through a lot of trouble to get this man," Maxi said as she shook her head.

A wink accompanied Melinda's response. "Some men are worth a lot of trouble, Maxi. He gave me this when I first met him." Melinda reached for her necklace and gasped when she realized it was gone. "My necklace," she groaned, "it must have come off."

"That's too bad," Maxi said sincerely.

Melinda blinked back tears as she considered the loss of her necklace, knowing that it was the least of her worries and pressed on. She had a pretty good idea what Maxi did in this house, but proceeded as though she were just another woman with an ordinary life. "How about you, Maxi? Do you have a husband or beau?"

It was hard to see Maxi's expressions in the dim light, but Melinda heard the woman sigh before she responded, "I was engaged a year ago, but it didn't work out. He was one of them men who was just trouble, and not worth cryin' over when he left."

"I'm sorry," Melinda responded. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't marry Adam. He's all I want and need, and I'm sure he's worried sick right now."

The conversation ended abruptly as Maxi knocked on the door to be let out. She turned back to Melinda. "I'll see what I can do about something to eat."

When George stuck his head in to make sure that everything was all right before opening the door completely, he told Maxi to tie Melinda up again. "Aw, she can't do nothin'. I'm just getting her some food and you can sit outside the door until I get back. It's not like she's gonna break outta here and we're up too high for her to jump, so let her loose until she's finished eatin'."

 **Three**

 **Weasels Are Not Members of the Rat Family-Although They Might Act That Way**

Adam handed the reins to his father as they slowed at the Samuels's house and jumped out without waiting for the buggy to stop. There was a lamp glowing in an upstairs room, but the lower level was dark. He pounded on the door, making the nearby windows rattle with the force. When no one came, Adam yelled, "Open this door, Lloyd, or I'll break it down."

Ben made it to the porch and took over the pounding while Adam went to the windows. He cupped his hands against the glass and could see the shadow of someone with a lit cigar standing in the far corner of the room. "I can see you in there, Lloyd. Open the door."

It seemed to take forever before there was a click as the lock turned and Lloyd swung the door open. "I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't know who was out here shouting, and was afraid at first. I thought you were a thief."

Adam snorted derisively, but wasted no time playing Lloyd's game. "Where's Melinda?" When Lloyd did not reply, Adam grabbed the lapels of his robe shoving him into the house and up against the wall. "I'll ask you again; where's Melinda."

Ben touched his son's shoulder as he nodded his head in the direction of the stairway, saying, "Adam…"

Miranda was halfway down the steps. The glow of the lamp she held illuminated her wide eyes and gaping mouth. She found her voice to gasp, "What are you doing to my husband?"

Lloyd admitted nothing, but said quietly, "She has nothing to do with this. Please don't involve her."

Adam continued to hold Lloyd against the wall as he replied in a menacing voice. "That's the problem with lies and games, Lloyd, they always draw the innocent in. I'm sure that whatever trouble you're in had nothing to do with Melinda, and yet she's in the middle of it." He turned to Miranda as he loosened his grip on her husband. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, but your sister has been kidnapped."

"Oh!" she cried. "Are you sure?"

Ben explained, "We received a ransom note about an hour ago."

Miranda made her way down the steps, sank into a chair and addressed Adam as she pointed to Ben. "Is this your father, Adam?"

"Yes. I'm sorry we don't have time for pleasantries, but we have to find out what Lloyd knows about Melinda's disappearance.

Her face was a blank stare. "What does Melinda's kidnapping have to do with Lloyd? Surely you don't think he's involved!"

"Unfortunately I do." Adam turned again to Lloyd and said, "You need to tell us what you know about this now!"

Miranda was on her feet again and walked toward her husband insinuating herself between him and his accuser. "Stop badgering him, Adam." She turned to face Lloyd, "You don't know anything about this, do you, dear?"

Ben broke in, "Let's light some lamps and sit down. We'll go through this rationally." He came to stand at Adam's side and addressed Lloyd. "But we want the truth, or as you told us earlier today, 'you'll regret it.'"

With more lamps lit, Adam could see the panic on Lloyd's face, and suggested they untie the heavy drapes to cover the windows. There was something going on here that shook Adam to the core, and he felt more secure once he knew that they weren't being observed by someone standing outside. He pulled a footstool in front of Lloyd and sat facing him. "Start at the beginning and don't stop until I tell you to."

"This is very good, Maxi," Melinda said between bites of the dry bread slathered with bacon grease. She followed that with a large swig of milk. This wasn't food she was used to eating but at that moment it was ambrosia. "Is Maxi a nickname for Maxine?"

Maxi remained standing, leaning on the dresser since there was no other chair in the room. "Maxine Wilhelmina…" she stopped short of revealing her last name. "I've always been called Maxi or Willy."

Melinda chuckled knowingly. "My name is Melinda, and I've known the same problem. My sisters always called me Mel…and when they really wanted to make me mad, they called me Melvin." She won a smile from her captor for that admission. "You know, the way you're leaning on that dresser reminds me of my fiancé. He leans on everything, even himself."

Maxi gave Melinda a questioning look. "How's he lean on himself?"

"Like this." Melinda placed her plate on the bed next to her and stood, crossing her arms over her chest and leaned back against her hip.

"He got somethin' wrong with him, like a bad back," Maxi inquired.

"No, he's fine in every way that I can tell," Melinda blushed as she sighed and lost her focus for a moment, "but he's done that as long as I've known him. He lives with his grandfather and I've seen the older man do it too. Maybe it's a family trait."

A pound on the door broke into the conversation. "You two almost done in there?" it was George's voice. "You gotta get back downstairs, Maxi, it's getting busy."

Melinda shoved the last of the bread into her mouth and drained her glass. "What kind of accent does he have?" she asked as she nodded toward the door.

"Italian. Listen Mel, I have to tie you up now, but I'll leave enough length on the arm rope so's you can get off your back a little."

Melinda said, "Thank you," and meant it. Yet as she felt the ropes being slipped around her ankles, she began to cry. She sniffed and asked, "Maxi, what time is it? Since it got dark, I have no idea whether it's eight at night or two in the morning. I guess it doesn't matter, but I'm worried about Adam. He was sick yesterday and I wonder if he's feeling any better. It won't help if he's beside himself wondering what's happened to me."

Maxi pulled the last of the ropes tight as she answered. "It's nearly ten and I'm sure that by this time your man knows what's happened. It'll be up to him to figure out what to do about it."

"What does he know, Maxi?" Melinda pled, "What's this all about?"

"For being a smart lookin' lady, you don't know much about this world do you? You're being held for ransom, Melinda, and with these guys involved, it's big."

"I'm a teacher who writes textbooks and Adam is an engineer. We aren't rich and I can't believe he's involved with these men."

Maxi touched Melinda's shoulder. "Doesn't matter who started this, sweetie. It all comes down to who has ta finish it. These people only care about the money, and they must think your man has some." She checked her knots a last time before adding, "I'll leave the lamp here so it won't seem so dark, and come back to check on ya after I'm done for the night. Try to sleep. The time goes faster if you can sleep."

Melinda thought about Maxi's words. Yesterday seemed a million years ago as she tried to recall all that had been said throughout the day with her family. When they'd been alone, her sister had mentioned that she and Lloyd were having money problems, but she hadn't made it sound like it was serious. Yet it was Lloyd who'd delivered her to these people. Maybe he had been duped. She had never disliked her brother-in-law, but she couldn't see what her sister saw in him either. He always seemed shifty, and hung on the fringes of family get-togethers looking furtive.

And suddenly the fog began to lift.

She recalled that her father had told her that one of the reasons he had to sell their home was that they had lost a lot of their savings to a "bad investment." He'd even said that he could have made it through the tough times with his business if he hadn't lost the other money. William had never said outright that Lloyd had lost their money, but she knew that her father had given him some to invest as a good-faith gesture after Lloyd and Miranda had married. At the time her parents settled in Boston, she'd mentioned that Lloyd had asked her to invest in a sure thing. She'd asked her father what he thought about it and he'd become outraged. He'd actually said, "Stay away from any business with that man, Melinda. Even if there was a good deal out there, Lloyd wouldn't know it from a hole in the ground."

Melinda had been looking at her brother-in-law during dinner yesterday and saw his reaction when her father brought up the article about Adam's family. Lloyd's eyes had bugged out and he'd grinned like a cat with its paw on a mouse's tail when he'd heard the part about them having money.

She shuddered as she remembered how Lloyd had pressed his case for her to meet the "principal." She had finally given in when he'd become peevish about her unwillingness to follow through on the opportunity he'd arranged for her, suspecting that he might expect a "finder's fee" if she managed to broker a deal.

She guessed the truth and understood why Lloyd had seemed so jittery at the hotel. He had to be in some serious money trouble and was the one, as Maxi had put it, who had started this. Obviously he saw Adam as the person who could finish it…and she was the insurance.

Her initial anger was exceeded by sadness as she considered the questions she would ask Lloyd if he were here now. What kind of a man would allow this…no that wasn't right…he didn't allow it, he must have arranged it. How could he know that others would be able to raise the money to pay the ransom? She and Adam hadn't spoken about their finances in great detail. Her book royalties and job had allowed her to live without money woes, yet she had no other assets except the house she'd inherited. Adam lived simply. He had a good job, what he owned was top quality, and he didn't skimp when it came to getting what he wanted. However, that didn't mean he had "money." Wealth was an ambiguous term. Adam had mentioned once that he still had to liquidate several investments in Nevada. She'd had no desire to know whether the sum recovered would be substantial or a pittance. They had what they needed to live on and the rest hadn't seemed important. Now she supposed it was important and felt sick about it. Even if Adam or his family had money, they shouldn't be coerced into giving it away—not for a cowardly weasel like Lloyd.

Her thoughts returned to her brother-in-law. What did he think would happen if Adam was unable to pay? And was he naive enough to think that these people would let her go even if the ransom was paid…or didn't that matter either as long as it didn't affect him?

All this thinking was getting her nowhere, so she decided to do as Maxine had suggested and try to sleep. She smiled sadly as she turned onto her side and realized that Maxi had honored her word. The ropes had enough length that she could get comfortable, without being long enough to get her hands together to undo the knots. Her tears began again as she gave thanks for the honor of a brothel woman, cursed the dishonesty of someone she should have been able to trust, and clung to the love of one man who might find a way to save her.

"Why was Melinda kidnapped?" Adam demanded. Lloyd remained mute so Adam drew his Colt and pointed it at his chest. "I'll figure this out with or without you. But if you aren't going to be helpful, there's no reason to keep you around."

Miranda gasped and started to rise, but Ben took her hand and pulled her back onto the settee. He'd positioned himself next to her to make sure she didn't interfere. As she sat again, he leaned to speak quietly in her ear. "Trust Adam. He only wants the truth."

There were streams of sweat pouring down Lloyd's temples. His face contorted as if he was in pain and he exhaled loudly before he finally said, "Put your gun down. I'll tell you about it."

When a few more moments passed with no further comment, Adam poked the gun into Lloyd's chest again and said, "I'll put this away once you start talking."

Lloyd moaned as he threw his head back. With another deep breath, he began, "I honestly don't know how it got this far."

Adam was impatient. "I don't want excuses; I want to know what happened."

The flood gates opened. "My business hasn't been going well…for a few years already. I've lost a lot of money in…um…investments and while people weren't happy to lose their savings, they all understood that there was risk involved." He looked toward his wife. "Even Miranda's parents lost money, but they realized that things that can go wrong in such ventures."

Trying to speed up the story, Adam agreed. "I get it. What's that got to do with Melinda's kidnapping?"

"I promoted a deal to someone about six months back. It didn't go well, and this guy threatened to kill me if I didn't pay the money back. In fact, he wants the original investment, plus the interest I promised he'd make."

"How much in all?" Ben asked.

"Twenty-five thousand dollars." Lloyd began to cry. "This has never happened to me before, and I was afraid and thought that they might harm Miranda. I was at the end of my rope with this guy and then William mentioned yesterday about how you Cartwrights have a lot of money and I saw a way out."

Adam gave Lloyd a caustic look, "So instead of just asking me for help or telling me what was going on, you went to this person today and told him you'd get the money from us, right?" Lloyd nodded. "And when we didn't jump at your deal, you needed to give us some incentive? Tell me, who's idea was it to take Melinda for a ransom? His…or yours?"

Lloyd said nothing, but Adam already knew the answer. He stood and pulled Lloyd to his feet until they were nose-to-nose. "This person wouldn't have known about Melinda unless you told him, would he?" He shoved him back down into his chair. "Where is she, you worthless pile of horse s…" He stopped short as his father came to his side again.

Ben and Adam glared at Lloyd as he cowered in the chair. "I told him that if we'd hold onto Melinda, you'd get the money without a second thought. Anyone can see how much you care for her." Lloyd grinned strangely, as if his next statement would put all doubt to rest, "She's not being harmed."

"How do you know that?" Ben asked incredulously.

"I took her to a hotel where this guy had someone meet us. He said that they'd put her in a nice room and keep an eye on her until you got the ransom money." A glimmer of hope came to Lloyd's eyes as he added, "I even got you enough time to get the money since you said it might take a few days."

"We said it might take a few weeks, you idiot," Adam shouted. "And what makes you think that a man who threatened to harm you and your wife would treat your sister-in-law any better?"

Lloyd shriveled under Adam's sharp stare. "He promised."

Adam groaned as he realized the level of lunacy he was dealing with. He was hit with a wave of nausea and stomach cramps that made him crumple to the ottoman in pain. The illness he'd experienced the last two days had begun to worsen back at his grandfather's house and was now striking with a vengeance.

As Ben saw to his son, Miranda came to her husband and ordered, "Stand up!" He complied. "You're going to get dressed and take Adam and his father to the hotel where you dropped my sister. You better pray that she's unharmed like this man 'promised.' I'll grab your clothes from upstairs because I don't want you leaving this room. You might try to crawl away."

She turned to leave and then looked back at her husband and stared him down. "Let me see if I understand this correctly before I go. You took money from my parents and lost that, leaving them nearly destitute. You have continued to lose money that you got from other people, including someone who wants to harm us if he doesn't get it back."

She shook her head. "Why did you keep taking money if what you were doing wasn't working? And as Adam said, once you knew that you were in trouble, why weren't you man enough to tell us what was happening? Instead, you tried to get money from the Cartwrights—people you just met—and then told someone that it was all right to take my sister when that little scheme didn't go as planned?" The pitch of her voice was rising to a screech as she finished, "I would rather he had killed both of us than to harm Melinda. I might be innocent in this mess, but at least I'd be paying the price for being married to a weasel like you! Melinda and the Cartwrights have no part in this." The slap she laid across his cheek resounded in the quiet room before she headed upstairs.

Lloyd tried to leave the room, but Ben withdrew his gun. "I think you best sit back down."

While his father stood watch, Adam stumbled out the back door like a drunken sailor and tried to stem the recurring effects of the illness by breathing in the cool night air. The pain hit him again as he thought of Melinda being held captive. She was a smart woman, but she had no experience with anything like this. Looking up at a sky that was awash in glimmering stars, he mouthed a silent prayer to the creator of the celestial wonder above him. "Watch over Melinda; protect her and keep her from harm. Please give me the wisdom and strength to find her. Do with me as you choose once she's safe, but please, let me get through this first."

The dizziness began to ease after Adam expelled the bile from his stomach onto the dirt at his feet. He sighed wearily as he sat on the porch step and cradled his feverish head in his hands. An odd sense of peace washed over him as he remembered that his father was with him. The discomfort he'd first felt with his illness was becoming pain that was deep and raw. At times it felt like he had swallowed a heated branding iron that was burning its way through his gut. Yet it wasn't the pain that he feared, or even that something was so seriously wrong that he might not recover from it. His greatest fear was that whatever was happening might incapacitate him before he finished the search. In this uncertainty there was peace that no matter what happened to him, his father would continue what the two of them had started, and he would find Melinda. He added to his prayer as he gave thanks for having a father like Ben Cartwright.

Ben stuck his head out the back door. "He's ready, son; we should figure out what we're going to do next."

He chose not to comment on how tired his son looked as he passed by on the way inside. Abel had mentioned that Adam had been ill and from what Ben could see, it hadn't abated. He also knew that no matter how sick his son became, Adam would go on.

A memory of finding Adam in the desert jabbed at Ben's heart. His son had been starved and tortured by a madman, yet Adam had tried to bring Kane with him when there was no other choice but to trek out of the desert on foot. When Ben and the boys had found Adam after two weeks of searching, he was exhausted to a point where he seemed only marginally more alive than the corpse he was pulling. The recovery from that experience had taken time and Ben had feared that Adam would be a lesser man. He should have known better. The ordeal served to make Adam stronger and more determined. His son never backed down and since that ordeal, he seemed even more focused when times were the hardest.

Yet this situation was different. It wasn't Adam's life that was at stake. He and Melinda had been drawn into something they had no part in, and Adam was stabbing in the dark to figure out what had actually happened and where to go next. He had put some pieces together quickly, yet he was still a newcomer to Boston and that disadvantaged him. And the sickening thought chilled Ben that no matter what either of them did to find Melinda, the people who had her might not allow her to live even if a ransom was paid. They needed to find out where she was being held if they wanted a chance to save her. 

All they could do was to follow the leads they might find. There was nothing to do except take another step so he shook off his uneasiness and joined his son.

Ben and Adam decided to send Miranda by cab to her parent's apartment for the night. She agreed to explain what was happening and bring them in the morning to stay at Melinda's house until the kidnapping was resolved.

This seemed the best solution because it centralized the group of people who would need to be contacted with information. It was a lot to ask of his grandfather, but Adam would send word to him letting him know what was happening. Abel might be older and have a few health issues, but at this point, he was the one person Adam trusted to help William keep Margaret in check. Miranda was still seething at discovering her husband's secrets and would be a powerful force as well—until the shock wore off and she fully understood the betrayal.

Despite the upheaval in Miranda's life, and Margaret's less than perfect understanding of her daughter, Adam knew that once Melinda was rescued, she would appreciate that her mother and sister would be there for her.

After Miranda was on her way, Ben and Adam stuck Lloyd between them in the buggy and set off for the Parker House Hotel. They arrived just before eleven and entered the lavish lobby.

Adam directed the group to the front desk where he addressed the clerk. "We need to know whether there's a Lorenzo Grifasi or a George Salvatore registered here." He'd managed to extract those names from Lloyd on the drive over.

The young clerk quickly responded that neither of them were in residence.

Ben spoke up, "Are there any rooms registered to young women?"

"Not that I know of sir. We have a group of lawyers staying here now, and only a few of them have their wives along, so there aren't many women here at all. But I just came on duty. Let me ask the clerk who was on all evening." He disappeared through a door camouflaged by the wood paneling at the rear of the desk area and came back with another young man.

"I'm Zeke Palmer," he told the three men. "I've been here since mid-afternoon. Mark says you have a question about someone who might be staying here?"

Adam answered, "A woman was dropped here this afternoon, and we believe that she _might_ be staying here. However, the room could be registered in a different name."

Zeke shot Adam a wary look. "I'm not sure I should be giving out information about our guests. But I will say that we do have one room registered to a woman. What is the name of the person you're looking for?"

"Melinda Hayworth." Adam said through gritted teeth, knowing in his heart that she was not resting comfortably in a room upstairs as Lloyd had promised.

The young man's eyes brightened as he exclaimed, "Oh, then it was her!"

Adam leaned over the counter, nearly grabbing the clerk's jacket. "What do you mean that it was her? Is she here?" Adam was afraid to believe that this would end so easily. His fears were justified.

"No, she's not staying here. But shortly after I came on duty this afternoon, I saw someone I thought looked like Melinda walking through the lobby. My family owns this hotel and our house was next to the Warnimonts, where Melinda was the governess. I used to play at Nate's house all the time and she would often be in charge of us. When I saw the person I thought was Melinda, I called her name, but she kept walking, so I figured it wasn't her."

"Who was she with?" It was Ben's question.

"She came in with one man. I've seen him here before…a George something. He's kind of a rough character and that's what made me think it probably wasn't Melinda. They met up with two other guys and I got busy about that time and didn't pay much attention to what they were doing. I think they left out the back. I remember thinking that something didn't seem right. They were in a hurry and kind of pushing the woman along, but she didn't say anything so I didn't interfere."

Adam asked, "Can you tell us anything more about the men she was with?"

"Sorry, no. The only thing I know is that I once saw the one named George tagging along with Lorenzo Grifasi. Grifasi's a wealthy businessman who's held some very nice parties here. He seems like a nice enough fellow, too." He thought a moment and added, "Is Melinda in trouble?"

Ben said, "Thank you," and hurried to catch up to Adam, who had left before the clerk finished speaking.

Adam had a tight hold on Lloyd's arm while steering him to the door. "Maybe it's time we go see your friend, Lorenzo."

Lloyd wrenched free of Adam's grip as he cowered. "We can't do that. If we show up there without the money...well I'm not sure what he'd do. He was very clear that I shouldn't return. He said he'd be in touch when he wanted to see me again."

"What kind of a person did you get mixed up with? The kid at the desk says he's an affable businessman who has money. Do you know anything more about him?"

The trembling man looked at his feet and shook his head.

Ben inquired, "Where to next, son? It's getting late. Should we go back to Abel's and start fresh in the morning?"

A small smile stole across Adam's face. "We're not out West, Pa. We don't have to stop because we can't see the tracks in the dark. There's someone who might be able to help us and I know that he doesn't sleep much. He'll see us even if it is late." Although he'd decided what his next move would be, he hadn't considered that his father might not be up to an all-night trek, and said kindly, "I can do this on my own, Pa. Why don't you head to Grandfather's and we'll meet up again in the morning."

Ben sent his child a scathing look. "I'm not that old, boy." He smiled then. "I wouldn't leave you no matter how tired I am. I want to see Melinda safe just as much as you do. The circumstances are dire, Adam, but I have to say that we still make a good team. Where to next?"

 _Melinda's arms locked around Adam's neck as she drew him to her in a kiss. "I knew you'd come," she whispered as she eased him down onto the cot next to her. With her head resting on his chest she could hear his heart beating steady and true just as it had a few days ago in Abel's parlor._

She was suddenly crying out as she was pulled away from him. "No!" she screamed as she fought to hold on. But as she focused, she saw that she was holding Maxi's hands, not Adam's, and everything became unbearably clear again.

"You were talking in your sleep, Melinda," Maxi explained as she stroked her hair. "You kept saying Adam's name and I hated to wake you, but I thought you might need to stretch a bit before I go to bed." She began untying the knots as Melinda composed herself.

"I dreamed that he came," she said softly. "He was here next to me and I could feel his heart beating. It was so…real." The tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat up and wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"I figured it was something like that." Maxi helped her stand. "You probably should use the chamber pot too. I have to sleep for a while now and no one else will be coming in to help you. I'll bring you something to eat when I get up."

"What time is it now?" Melinda asked as she looked out the window at the black night outside.

"Around one. It was a slow night, so I'm getting to bed early. I usually don't sleep long, so you'll see me in the morning. Just stay quiet. You won't bring any trouble on yourself that way. I promise I'll be back to take care of you." Maxi quieted for a moment and then reiterated her thought. "Just remember what I said, Melinda. You keep still and they'll not think about you. Make a fuss and they'll be reminded that there's a pretty woman in here and…"

Melinda reeled for a moment as she considered what more "trouble" she could possibly bring upon herself. She had no notion of what the kidnappers were capable of doing, but Maxi's final warning had implied that they might find other ways to exact payment from her. That frightened her more than the fact that they probably didn't leave witnesses alive to tell tales. Her heart was beating so loudly that Melinda was sure Maxi could hear it, but she finally managed to say, "Thank you Maxine. You've been very kind and I appreciate it."

As Maxi turned away for privacy, she changed the subject. "When was your wedding planned for?"

Her mouth went dry at the verb tense Maxi had chosen. Melinda wondered if it was a grammar error or Maxi's surety that it wouldn't take place. She answered truthfully even though her words came out sounding like her tongue had turned to wood. "A week from Saturday." As she controlled her fear again, she added, "Adam's father is visiting so we are going to be married while he's here. You may have noticed that I'm not a young bride, so I don't want a big wedding. All I want is Adam next to me, and a preacher to say the words."

"You never been married before?" Maxi asked.

"No. It took a long time for things to work out so that we could be together, but I would have waited forever for him."

Maxi turned back to face Melinda. "He feel the same about you?"

"Yes. I have no doubt about that."

"Must be nice…I mean to love each other like that. For me, love has always been one-sided. I do the lovin', the guy takes what he wants and then moves on with nary a thought." She led Melinda back to the cot and retied the ropes. As she neared the door she looked back and smiled. "Sweet dreams, Melinda."

 **Four**

 **Friends in High Places**

Lamps were glowing in the downstairs windows as Adam drove the carriage up the long driveway to the Wadsworth estate. The windows he was most interested in were the ones in Frank Senior's study at the far left, and Adam breathed with relief to see the room brightly lit.

Ben observed the mansion up ahead, and said, "When you came home from school, you told me that the Wadsworth family had a 'nice' house. I'd say this is a little more than nice."

"What was I supposed to say, Pa, that it was the biggest estate in Boston? As I recall you were already thinking I'd gotten a little too big for my britches while I was away. And I didn't lie about it, did I? It is nice."

"You've got me there. Do you think we'll have to wake them?"

Adam pointed to the far set of windows. "Frank's in that room, and from the looks of it he's probably in the middle of something he can't put down. Marian, Frank's wife, complains that he stays up half the night, and that means she stays up worrying about him. It's just his way…kind of like you, Pa. He can't sleep either when there's something on his mind."

As they completed the drive to the house, Adam turned to Lloyd. "I need to know something. Did you really think you could pull this off without us figuring out that you were involved? Are you that stupid or did you think that we were?"

He shrugged. "Guess I didn't really think it through. It's just I talk a lot when I'm nervous and I must have mentioned that you were going to marry my sister-in-law, and that your family had money. When I went back yesterday and said you didn't fall for my pitch, they told me what I had to do."

"Just what did you _have_ to do?" Adam asked with contempt.

"I already told you."

"Tell us again." Ben demanded.

"I had to convince Melinda to come with me to the Parker House. I told her a story about how I'd met a guy who wanted to buy her books, then I dropped her off there and went home. I was supposed to lay low and act surprised if you told me about her being missing. I think that asking for the same amount that I told you I needed for that investment led you to me."

"That's a shame. You really have had a rough time." Adam gave Lloyd a hateful look as he pulled him from the rig and shoved him toward the front of the house.

The door opened before they got to it. "Welcome, Mr. Cartwright." The butler escorted them inside. "I heard the carriage coming up the drive and wondered who might be arriving at this hour."

"I'm sorry to impose, Walter, but we need to speak to Mr. Wadsworth," Adam said apologetically.

Walter waved the apology aside. "You aren't the first person to arrive at this hour to see the master of this house, and I'm sure you won't be the last. Wait here while I announce you."

Within minutes they were being led down a long hallway and through the double doors of the study. Frank had a worried look as he greeted Adam. "Is everything all right, son? I was shocked when Walter told me who was here." He looked with interest at the two men standing behind Adam. "You've brought others along, so I'm assuming something is wrong."

Adam gave Lloyd a deadly stare and pointed to a chair off to the side of the room, and ordered, "Sit!" He spoke next to his boss. "Frank Wadsworth, this is my father, Ben Cartwright."

Frank's face brightened as he grasped Ben's hand. "What a delight to finally meet you. Since Adam speaks so often of you, I feel I already know you. When I heard you were coming to Boston, I made him promise to bring you out here." He laughed, "I just didn't expect that he would do it at midnight."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Ben replied. "Adam has always spoken of you with great admiration, Mr. Wadsworth." Frank acknowledged the compliment with a nod as Ben continued, "I met your son, Frankie, when we were in San Francisco. He traveled to the Ponderosa a few times as well. He's a wonderful young man."

"First off, how about you call me Frank, and I'll call you Ben? I've never liked the formality of last names. Adam calls me Mr. Wadsworth at work, but we're on a first name basis at the house," Frank gave Adam a pat on the shoulder, "Aren't we, son?"

Wadsworth looked questioningly at Lloyd and then back at Ben and Adam, indicated chairs for them and went to sit behind his desk. "So what brings you here, Adam? I'm sure it's not a social call, so you best tell me about it."

"Melinda has been kidnapped."

Frank gave no indication of his shock other than to draw a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He looked at Ben. "Have you met Melinda?"

Ben replied, "Not yet. We were expecting her this evening when the kidnapper's note arrived."

Frank turned his attention to Adam. "Tell me what you know."

Pointing back to Lloyd with his thumb, Adam explained. "That's Lloyd Samuels; he's married to Melinda's sister. Lloyd finds investment opportunities and promotes them, but it seems he's been having a string of bad luck and took money from a man named Lorenzo Grifasi. When the deal went bad, Grifasi demanded his money back and threatened to kill him when he couldn't come up with it. I just met Lloyd yesterday, but he got the impression that I had money and tried to broker a bogus deal with me and my father to get the payment. When we refused to invest, he and Grifasi hatched a plot to get the money in a more _creative_ manner. Lloyd dropped Melinda off at the Palmer House and assumed Grifasi's men would hold her there. Of course they didn't."

"I know Lorenzo," Frank contemplated. "In fact I've done business with him. He's from Sicily but he's been in Boston for over twenty years. I've heard some bad things about a group of Sicilian 'businessmen' lately, but I don't think Grifasi is part of that. He's a legitimate player in Boston's business community." Frank told Lloyd to come closer, then looked at Adam and said, "I suspect this man is lying to you, Adam."

Lloyd looked bewildered. "That's not true. It was their idea to kidnap Melinda when I didn't get the money."

Frank rolled his eyes disgustedly. "I suspect you're lying about the first part of this story—the part where you lost the investment. Men like Grifasi lose money all the time. In fact one of the business ventures I was in with him went bad and we all lost a few thousand dollars. It happens. Lorenzo didn't complain then. In fact he seemed to have a good perspective about how he gains more than he loses."

"But you're rich. He wouldn't say anything to you," Lloyd sniveled.

"That's true, but the man who sold us all on the idea wasn't rich and nothing bad came to him. If you were promoting as big deal as you say you were, then you would have lost money from a lot of people. Why aren't they all upset? Tell us the truth. I need to know what really happened before I can advise Adam on what to do."

Adam stood next to Lloyd. "He's right. You tell us now or we'll take you to Grifasi and let him do what he wants to with you."

Frank prodded, "What did you invest his money in? I've only heard of a few projects doing badly of late."

"That's interesting," Ben interjected, "Lloyd told us that he's been making a lot of bad calls. It seems like he's lost money on everything he's promoted." Ben gave Frank a knowing look. "That just seems unrealistic, doesn't it?"

Grasping Lloyd's shoulders firmly, Adam repeated his demand. "Tell us what you invested in. Don't worry about what we'll think of you. We can't think any less than we already do."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Lloyd shifted from one foot to the other, looking like a child found stealing penny candy. "I started out good," he confessed. "I made money for several people at first. But it was hard work and took so much time and effort."

"Every good thing does, Mr. Samuels." Frank commented with a sigh, "So what did you do that wasn't so much work and got you where you where you are now?"

"One night I was playing poker—just a friendly game, and used a little of the money I had gotten from an investor. I won…big. I went back a few more times and continued to win. I gave people back their money with interest and had enough left over to build a nice life for myself. People sought me out because I was known as someone who could find a good deal."

"That couldn't have lasted," Adam groaned. "Everyone knows that poker is a game of chance, and often rigged. Even the best don't win all the time."

"I found that out," Lloyd whimpered. "I couldn't make enough at the small games, so I started to play at the big gambling houses where the pots are larger. That's where I started to lose money, and had to sell harder than ever just to keep up. I'd gamble the money I'd get from one person, hoping to make just enough to pay off the one whose money I'd lost in the last game. But pretty soon I was losing all the time. I felt that if I could just keep the money coming in, I'd win big again and everything would be all right."

Frank demanded, "Did you gamble away Grifasi's money?"

Lloyd nodded while keeping his head down.

"And when you told him the investment went bad, he didn't believe you?"

He nodded again, still without looking up.

Frank looked at Adam and then to Ben. "This isn't good, gentlemen. I suspect that Grifasi found out what really happened." He brought his attention back to Lloyd. "Did he find out?"

"Yes!" Tears were streaking down Lloyd's cheeks. "I didn't know it, but I was playing at a place that was owned by someone who knew Grifasi. One of Lorenzo's men saw me there and told him about it."

Adam sank back into his chair and spoke quietly, addressing his boss. "This is bad, isn't it?"

Frank spoke in a sympathetic, but resigned tone. "This is more than bad, Adam. This is bad, bad. If Lorenzo has a connection to this Sicilian syndicate, he is in with some rough people. The sad part is that if Lloyd did have a reputation as someone who could make good money on an investment, Lorenzo may have trusted him and perhaps invested some of the syndicate's money on this 'sure thing' Lloyd was proposing."

Looking at Lloyd again, Frank continued, "You've broken trust with these people. I've heard that they have a strict code about such things and you betrayed them. They won't put up with that. Hell, I wouldn't put up with that. No one would, although I doubt that most people would use such extreme means to get their money back. These people aren't some local players having a friendly game. Gambling is a source of income, and I'm sure the cards are stacked in the house's favor. You lost their money to them, so you'd think they'd be satisfied that they got it back one way or another. But it doesn't work that way. It's not just about the money, it's about making you pay for thinking you could outsmart them."

Lloyd slumped into a chair, sobbing. "What's going to happen to me?"

Adam wanted to beat Lloyd to a pulp, but didn't have the energy to do it. He looked at him briefly, sighed deeply, and said, "Shut up and stop crying. You've taken the easy way out so far, but now you're going to be a man and do whatever you need to." He turned to Frank, "Any ideas how we can bring this to a conclusion and keep Melinda safe?"

There was a knock at the study doors, and a tall, well-muscled, middle-aged man walked in. "You sent for me, sir?"

"I did. Les, I want you to meet Adam and Ben Cartwright. They have a problem they're going to need some help with."

"Do you think we should be involving another person, Frank?" Adam asked with concern. "I've seen Les around the estate before and am not certain what he does for you, but I'm pretty sure I don't want him knowing about this.

Frank grinned. "I had Walter get Les as soon as I heard that it was you who had come to see me. You wouldn't have come during the night unless there was something seriously wrong. Les is head of the security force at Wadsworth. I figured he'd come in handy."

"Wadsworth Development has a security force?" Adam shook his head contemplatively. "Why?"

"We're a rich family and business. There have been attempts at kidnapping family members and people in high positions with the company for generations. I got tired of putting out fires and hired Les about 15 years back. He has men watching my family and travelling with us, and they're around the office, but they blend in so you don't even realize they're there. It just makes sense to have people trained and ready to go and has worked well. Les keeps his ear to the ground and knows more than anyone about who's making waves in this town."

Les spoke up. "What's the problem we're dealing with? I can get working on it once I know."

Frank indicated Lloyd as he explained, "This weasel got mixed up with the Sicilians and owes them big money from a poker game. At least I suspect it's a lot. How much is it?"

Lloyd answered, "$25,000."

"That's a lot for a small-time gambler like you are." Frank addressed Les again. "When Lloyd couldn't come up with the money to repay them, he told them that his sister-in-law was engaged to a man with money, and actually helped them kidnap her."

A growling noise issued from Les. "You've got yourself mixed up with some nasty people, mister. The Sicilian families are well established in New York crime, but they're just showing up here. I don't think they'll get a good grip in Boston and will be moved out by the Irish in time. They're known for having little tolerance of someone double-crossing them. Since this has gotten to the point of kidnapping to make someone else pay your debts, I'm assuming they've given you other chances that you haven't made good on." Les scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed loudly. "I have no idea what you thought was going to happen by offering your sister-in-law to these people, but I hope you said goodbye the last time you saw her, because she's not coming home. She's probably already shipped off to some other place where she'll be used in a brothel. The ransom will just be icing on the cake and their way of showing you who's boss."

Ben gasped while Adam sat silently clenching and unclenching his fists. Lloyd began to sob again.

Frank held his up hand to Les and ordered him to stop. "The woman you're talking about is Adam Cartwright's fiancée as well as the weasel's sister-in-law, and she's completely innocent in this matter. I'd ask you to show more consideration in your explanations." Les nodded as Frank continued, "I didn't mention that the debt is due to Lorenzo Grifasi rather than to someone overtly in this other group. Would that make any difference?"

Les puckered his lips as he thought. "It might. I've never heard Grifasi's name associated with any of the bad stuff going on."

Adam found his voice. 'You seem to know about these people. Where are they most likely to be holding Melinda?"

"They've bought up old houses all over the city to use for gambling and brothels. The Boston politicians keep closing them down, but they just move on to the next shack. They fix the places up a little inside but leave the outside looking like a dump so they don't draw attention. She could be at any one of them, or as I said, she could be in New York already. We go in with guns blazing at the wrong place, and she'll be gone for sure before we can find her. I'd liken this to a colony of bees though. They're spread around but they're all still parts of the same hive. Maybe we can poke it and see where the bees go…"

While Lloyd curled up in his chair and continued crying, the other four men formulated a plan to find out where Melinda was being kept. Les's earlier statements of doom were pushed aside as they moved forward on the assumption that she was alive and still in the city.

After the plans were set as much as they could be, Ben asked, "Could Les take Lloyd out of here, Frank. We need to speak with you privately."

Frank told Les, "Take him upstairs to one of the bedrooms and have someone stay with him." Addressing Lloyd he continued, "Try to get control of yourself, man. You got yourself into this and we have no use for snivelers."

Once the room was cleared, Adam stood and began to pace. "I don't know how to ask this, Frank, but-"

"You need help with the ransom."

Adam nodded. "The amount is not the issue. We could secure that in cash or gold by walking into the bank…if we were back in Nevada. The problem is time. It will take a couple of days for the wires to go through and then to process paperwork. From what Les just said, I don't think we have the time to do that. We need to act immediately."

Ben broke in, "We're wondering if you'd accept a quit claim deed for a portion of the ranch in return for cash, and I'll purchase it from you with interest once I'm back home."

Frank rose from behind his desk and came around to perch on the front edge. "I'll have the full amount available by this afternoon, although I doubt it will be touched. We won't worry about repayment unless it becomes necessary to use it."

Speaking directly to Ben, Frank continued, "I've seen you wince each time I've called Adam, son, Ben. Yet the truth is that I think of him in that way. I have always suspected that Adam got his strong sense of honor and character from his father. I don't know you well yet, Ben, but I'm even more convinced of that now." Motioning both men to get up, Frank encouraged them to follow. "We can't do any more until morning and it makes no sense for you to leave now and return in a few hours. I always have something to eat before bed, so why don't you two join me. There's food laid out in the kitchen for us. Then we'll get a little sleep."

Adam paled at the thought of eating. "I'd rather spend some time outside. Would it be all right if I'd head down to the stables?"

Frank smiled, "He's there, pining away for you. Take him out if you'd like. You can use Frankie's room when you come back, and I'll drop your father off in the room next to that when we finish."

Ben followed Frank toward the kitchen and was grateful for the plate of sandwiches awaiting them. "Might I inquire what that conversation with Adam was about, Frank?"

Frank poured a few fingers of a well-aged Scotch for each of them. He took his glass and sipped, saying, "Best sedative known to mankind. I drink a toast to Friar Cor each night." After another, longer sip he addressed Ben's question. "Concerning Adam and what's pining away for him in the stables, your son always favored one of our horses. It's a chestnut gelding with 3 white socks. He was the foal of Queen Anne's Elizabeth and England's Lord Chancellor Ellesmere." Frank snorted. "Names, not withstanding, they were wonderful horses from a long line of champions. We were concerned about some foot problems this colt had early on, so he was gelded. His name is Elizabeth's Sporting Chance and he grew to be a fine animal. Adam was drawn to him immediately when he saw the name painted on his stall. He said that you had gotten him a similar looking mount just before he left for school and he'd named it Sport. I suspected there was more to it than that, but didn't pry. Nothing seemed to relax Adam more than riding that horse."

Ben gave his host a knowing smile. "Did you know that his mother's name was Elizabeth?"

"Ah. I only knew that he was born here and his mother passed away after Adam's birth. Riding that horse must have reminded him of both his mother and his father."

The two men ate in silence until Frank asked, "What's wrong with Adam, Ben? He doesn't look well. I'd say it was the shock of all this, but he handles what life throws at him better than anyone I've ever known."

"He hasn't said much to me about it, but his grandfather said he's been ill. He looks worn out."

"If I know Adam, he won't talk about it and will tough it out the best he can. I hope he can get some rest tonight."

Adam made his way into the stables and stopped at the gate to "Sport's" stall. "Hi, old buddy," he said as the horse turned and approached him. "I haven't seen you for a while." The animal raised his head in a loud whinny and brought his nose to rest on Adam's hand. "Would you like a little exercise?"

The tack room was lined with rails holding English saddles, but as he looked around, Adam found the one he was looking for. He'd learned to ride English to participate in the hunts held at the Wadsworth estate, and did well enough to fool the others into thinking that he was accustomed to it. But he'd arrived one weekend to find a Western saddle hanging on the gate of Sport's stall—a surprise from the Wadsworth family. It had taken a little time for the horse to get used to the heavier leather and different reining style, but in time, both rider and horse adapted.

Saddled up, Adam moved Sport onto the moonlit rolling meadow at a walk. As the team regained their rhythm, they accelerated to a trot and finally a lope. Once sure that they were far enough away that he wouldn't be heard, Adam began to sing from Mozart's Requiem. This was not about practicing for the performance. He wasn't even sure that the concert would go on since he wouldn't be available for rehearsals. It was something he couldn't even think about. For now, the complicated music and concentration needed to sing the series of Latin words helped to settle his mind…and stomach.

Sport enjoyed the break, and dropped his head to chew on grass while Adam remained on his back, working through the crescendos and runs. When he finished the difficult solos without a break in his voice, he looked up at the sliver-infused night sky as he had done earlier. He was sweating with fever, yet he shivered with the thought that any misstep in hours to come might mean he wouldn't see Melinda again. As his anger and frustration built, he cried out the accusation that had plagued him throughout his life.

"Why!"

The effects of the chloroform had worn off and Melinda was now wide-awake. The lamp Maxi had left behind had sputtered and died when the flame consumed the last of the oil, and she was once again in darkness.

This time Melinda didn't cry out, but calmed herself by thinking about Adam. She craned her neck back, hoping to see the sky through the window. The tree blocked the panes, but if she angled her head just right, she could see a small patch of moonlight and stars.

She whispered, "Are you out there, Adam?" Melinda knew that when Adam needed to think, he went outdoors. He'd told her once, "My earliest memories are not of walls and rooms, but of rolling wagons, campfires, endless skies during the day and endless stars at night. Even when we finally had a house, we were still outside most of the time working trap lines first and then the ranch. There are times in the city when the walls around me close in and I have to get out, even if it's just to feel the wind in my face or make sure the stars are still there."

She'd worried at first when he'd headed for the door in the evening, and seemed not to want her company. He had finally convinced her that his need to absent himself outdoors didn't indicate anything more than a time for a little problem-solving.

"Are you finding any answers tonight, Adam? Does any of this make sense to you?" She whispered, while wishing there was some way of sending her thoughts to him. Adam had his father with him now and they would get through this together if she didn't make it home. "Stop thinking like that," she admonished herself as a wave of terror and sadness made her shiver. "They'll find me."

She wanted to believe that…she had to believe that or her panic would overwhelm her. Hoping to settle her fears, she let her mind drift back to a day in November, years ago when she and her aunt had walked next door to visit Abel. He had been holding a ladder while someone up above pruned the branches that rubbed against the house. She hadn't seen Captain Stoddard in some time. He hadn't recognized her and had let go of the ladder to tip his hat. There'd been a shout, and she'd watched in horror as the ladder had arced away from its perch against the house and the young man aloft had flown through the sky and landed upside down in a prickly hawthorn. Melinda still didn't know how Adam had survived that fall. The three of them had managed to extricate him from the branches he was caught in and she'd held his head in her lap while Abel went for help. Adam had looked half-dead, but she'd soothed and encouraged him while they'd waited, and somewhere in those moments, she had fallen as hard for him as he had through the branches. She'd gotten to know Adam in the days after the accident, and they'd come to love each other in the years that followed. She'd always teased him, saying that since she'd "saved" him, his life belonged to her.

Her breathing became regular and slowed as she continued to remember their hours together, until her eyelids became too heavy to open and she slept in Adam's arms.

 **Five**

 **The Games Are Afoot**

Ben was greeted by a butler as he descended the grand staircase of the Wadsworth house and was led to the dining room. He'd been awakened by a knock on his door an hour earlier and presented with a pitcher of hot water, a razor, shaving soap, and warm towels. When he'd gone to his room the night before, he'd found a nightshirt and robe on the bed and an attendant had taken his clothes away. These had arrived at his room freshly pressed within minutes of the other items. Ben had always made sure that guests were well cared for at the Ponderosa, and as his fortunes had increased out West, he'd stayed in the homes of influential people he'd come to know in San Francisco and Sacramento. None of those compared to the graciousness of this home.

Frank laid his napkin on the snowy white cloth as he rose and came to greet Ben and make introductions. "Ben Cartwright, this is Lady Marian, my wife."

Ben took the woman's hand as he said, "It's a pleasure, Lady Marian."

She laughed. "I'm not really a Lady, although my dear Frank has always called me that. I think he fancies himself as being the lord of the manor, so he gave me a title befitting his." She winked at her husband, who laughed as he leaned to kiss her cheek. She blushed as she returned her attention to Ben. "Please just call me Marian."

The three parents chatted about their children as they ate, but when she finished, Marian gave her husband a nod and excused herself, leaving the two fathers alone.

"I've sent word to the bank, asking them to deliver the money to my office by early afternoon." Frank's look turned to worry. "I didn't hear Adam come in last night, but Walter says that he's in Frankie's room. Have you seen him yet?"

Ben reflected Frank's concern. "I haven't, but I'll go check on him." He was rising from his chair as Adam entered the room.

Both men stared at the pale, heavy-eyed man who waved aside the offer of food and asked only for tea with honey. Neither man asked Adam about his health.

Frank inquired instead, "Did you ride last night?"

Adam nodded. "He's a great horse." He looked at his father, "He reminds me very much of Sport, Pa, which leads me to ask how he's doing?"

"Fine, son. Joe is the only one who can handle him. He takes him out as often as he can."

Les entered the room with Lloyd tagging along a step behind him. Pushing Lloyd toward the buffet, Les ordered, "Grab something to eat." Looking at his boss, he added, "I'll be heading out now and will meet you in about an hour. The coachman knows where to stop."

After going over their morning's plans a final time, Adam asked for a few minutes to give his regards to Marian and went off to find her. Once away from the watchful eyes in the dining room, Adam steadied himself against a table in the foyer and breathed deeply. He'd come in from his ride at around 3 AM, and had seen the bottle of Scotch on the table. Against his better judgment, he'd consumed a few ounces. It had felt good as it had warmed the chill from his body, but then it took its revenge as it repeatedly burned a path from his stomach up his esophagus and back down again. He'd slept a bit after discovering that lying on his left side relieved the constant upheaval. The morning had brought no relief from his symptoms and there was steady pain now accompanied by a nausea that didn't abate. If he'd had to describe where it hurt, he would have said it was coming from every inch of his digestive tract. But there was no time for frailty so he pushed it aside and went to find his hostess.

Melinda awoke to find Maxi standing above her with a plate of food.

"Looks like you was able to sleep. That's good." Maxi set the plate on the dresser and came back to untie the ropes. "It's gonna be a busy day for me, sweetie, so I brought you a big breakfast and found a book and catalogue to keep you busy. Merchant ships came in last night and I suppose they're unloaded by now. That means that the crews are making their way to the bathhouse, then the saloon, and will begin to show up here around noon."

Unsure of whether she should say anything, Melinda decided to ask, "Maxine, how did you come to be here? You're so different from the way I would have imagined anyone who would work in a house like this. Adam told me just the other day that he had made some big mistakes about judging people by what they do for a living instead of by getting to know who they are. I have to wonder if I haven't been very wrong about a lot of things I've put judgments on too."

Maxi sat down on the bed. "We all make judgments about a lot of things…and people, and it takes a big person to admit they're wrong. I'm here because of one of those guys I told you about yesterday. He said he loved me and I believed him. He was a good lookin' man that the other ladies swooned over. I felt proud to be by his side, thinking he was a finer person than me because he was schooled more and had a smooth way of talkin'. I felt I was lucky he chose me to love. Then the no-good brought me to this house about a year back and said that if I really loved him, I would help him out. Said he was in big money trouble and if I would work here a while, it would help him pay his debt down and then we'd get married. When I began to understand what I'd gotten myself into I tried to leave, but they told me that Clint had given me to them to pay his off his bets." Maxi's dark eyes flashed angry and cold. "That Civil War that just got fought might have freed some slaves, but people are still bought and sold. I guess as long as others don't see it, they think it don't exist."

Melinda placed her hand on Maxi's. "You know…a couple of days ago I would have been shocked by that story. I wouldn't think it was possible that someone could sell out another human being, but that's really what my brother-in-law did to me, didn't he?"

"If he's the one who 'arranged' this, then yes he did."

"You know what's remarkable about you, Maxine?" The other woman shrugged and Melinda continued, "You haven't become jaded and you don't treat others as you've been treated. You've been so kind to me. I think you're one of the finest people I've ever met, and I mean that with all my heart. I've known people who have always been blessed with the best in life. Instead of thanking God for all that's been given them by extending that blessing to others, they hold on tight to what they have, forget where it all came from, and treat others badly. I know you've had some bad times in your life, Maxine, but what you are deep down inside is still there. They can force you to do things you don't want to do, but they can't take away who you are."

Maxine turned away as she wiped her eyes with her skirt. "I'm letting you untied today, but don't do anything to make me regret it. Your door's bolted on the outside, and you can't get out the window, so take it easy and look through them things I brought." She looked at Melinda and smiled. "Thank you for them nice words. If you was anybody else, I'd suspect you were just saying them to make me drop my guard, but I find something true about you too." Maxi walked over and knocked on the door to be let out. "I'll be back when I can."

Frank, Ben, Adam and Lloyd set out in one of the Wadsworth's coaches after Les went off alone to assure that his side of their plan was in place. He'd managed to assemble the best of his team during the night, explain the situation and then had sent them to keep an eye on Grifasi's office building.

The coach stopped two blocks away from their destination and Les hopped in. "Grifasi got in an hour back, and was joined a few minutes ago by Luis Castelletti and a group of his men. Castelletti is the guy with the reputation as a son-of-a." Les stopped his assessment as he noticed the stern look his boss was shooting his way. "As I was saying, I've heard that Castelletti oversees the gambling houses and has been informally tied to several disappearances since he's been here. The police could never prove anything and his operation has grown bigger and meaner as far as I can tell."

Ben looked at Les and then to Adam. "Are we ready to put this plan into motion?"

"We sure are," Les answered. "Let's hope we catch these guys by surprise and get them to do what we want them to."

Lloyd shrank into the corner of the carriage, and refused to exit when they arrived at the Grifasi's office. "I don't need to go in there," he whined, "you know the story already, so just leave me out here."

Les reached a long arm into the corner and yanked Lloyd from the conveyance, as he hissed, "Be a man. No one's going to hurt you with us along."

Frank strode into the building, noted the nameplate on the desk and greeted the young woman in the outer office, "Good morning, Miss Parsons. I need to speak to your boss."

She smiled back. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Wadsworth. Mr. Grifasi is with someone right now. If you'll wait a moment, I'll tell him that you're here." She disappeared through the door marked "Lorenzo Grifasi", and returned shortly with the news that he would be available in a minute.

The group in the waiting area heard raised voices and saw shadows through the frosted glass in the wall that separated the office from the anteroom, but when Lorenzo ushered them into the office, it was empty. "Frank Wadsworth!" he said with a soft Italian accent, while shaking his hand. "What an honor. May I ask what brings you here?" As Lorenzo viewed the group, his eyes stopped at Lloyd. Addressing him, he asked in confusion, "What are you doing with these men?"

Frank took over as he ordered everyone to sit. "As you have already surmised, this is not a social call, Lorenzo. We have done business together in the past, and I have always known you to be an honorable man. But it has come to my attention that you did not act honorably yesterday."

Grifasi tried to interrupt, but Frank loomed over the man's desk. "I know that this man, Lloyd Samuels, lost money that belonged to you, but in your efforts to reclaim that money, you arranged the kidnapping of his sister-in-law. There's a problem with this, Lorenzo. That woman is the fiancée of Adam Cartwright," he indicated Adam. "This other gentleman is his father, Ben Cartwright. The Cartwrights are family to me, Lorenzo, so when you took the woman Adam intends to marry, you took a member of my family. This cannot stand. We will resolve this…misunderstanding…immediately."

Lorenzo pointed at Lloyd. "This man told you that I kidnapped the woman?"

Adam spoke for the first time. "He said that after he told you that she was engaged to someone with money, you laid out the plans to hold her until you got your initial investment back plus an equal amount to cover your loss of interest."

None of those present had to speak Italian to know that Grifasi was uttering a curse as he flew over to Lloyd, jerking him to his feet. "Why do you lie to these people?" He turned and balanced himself against his desk as he moaned. "I knew six months ago when this all first happened, that it would ruin me. This bug of a man took my money and gambled it in the house of Luis Castelletti. He came crying to me after that and I vouched for him to Castelletti, saying he would make good on the debt with a little time. I had invested with Lloyd once before and it had gone well, and hoped he would find a way to get himself out of this mess. But he was unable to do so…or couldn't by the means he was using. When I could stall Luis no further, he came here yesterday and gave Lloyd an ultimatum: the money or his life. It was the two of them who decided on the kidnapping."

"I'm confused," Ben questioned, 'why would this Castelletti want money from Samuels. Isn't he the one who benefited from his gambling?"

"Aha," cried Grifasi, "That's the point. I would have liked my money back, but I would have taken Samuels to court and sued him for fraud. He gambled my $12,000 dollars with Castelletti, and then wrote markers on an equal amount. With the interest on that over the last six months, he owes them nearly $20,000. I will receive nothing from this, and had no part in it except that I'm the one who made the horrendous mistake of trusting Samuels to make good, and so I am stuck with him. That's why they met here. I am now the middleman. I would end this immediately if I could—would pay Castelletti the money myself, but it doesn't work that way."

Grifasi peered over his shoulder as if being watched before continuing more quietly, "I meant no disrespect to you or your friends, Frank. I only sat by while the deal was made, knowing that if I made a fuss, I would not be here today. Even now, I am trying to go home to Italy. My family is already gone; I sent them about a month ago when I realized that being in with these men could not have a favorable outcome. I've been drawn into something I never wanted to be a part of. But once you're in, you can't get out again. I have no stomach for this…this…dark kind of business."

Adam had risen during Grifasi's explanation and turned Lloyd to face him. "Is there no end to the lies you've told us? You've endangered the lives of innocent people with your cowardice and even when given the chance to make this right, you still refuse to be honest. I have another question for you, Samuels. Mr. Grifasi says your debt is $20,000, so why are they asking for $25,000?" He looked at his father and Frank, and then back at Lloyd. "You wanted the same amount from us for your 'deal.' Why the extra five thousand?"

Grifasi said, "I know the answer to that. Lloyd asked Castelletti to make the ransom for the larger amount so that he'd have a stake for another game of poker. He practically drooled as he said that he thought you were good for it."

Lloyd dropped to the floor as Adam's fist connected with his chin.

Frank told Les to take the unconscious Lloyd out to the coach and tie him up. Speaking to Grifasi again, he said, "Why is Castelletti here? Don't bother denying it, Lorenzo. We know he's hiding somewhere and we only want the truth now."

"He came to see if I'd heard anything from Samuels. Luis wondered if the woman's family was going to come up with the money or had figured out that Lloyd was involved in the kidnapping. As I said before, this whole affair sickens me, and if I was a better man…maybe I could have done more. My only hope became that it would all be resolved quickly and I would be kept out of it." He looked down, "I am a coward too."

Ben asked, "What do you know about Castelletti?"

"Not a great deal…mostly because I distance myself from him and his business. He is distantly related to me and that's why he took my word about Samuels in the first place. I know he doesn't trust me fully though. Since this business with Samuels, he's had his cousin tailing me to see where I go and what I do. I only know that Luis runs the gambling part of the business, while a cousin, George Salvatore, the man who often shows up wherever I am, runs the brothels. George is the one who met Samuel's and the woman at the hotel and took her away."

"Do you know where they took her?" Adam asked, his voice betraying another breath of hope.

"No. These men come from a family of crime back in the old country and are seeking to establish a foothold here. I know nothing and don't ask questions. It had worked well for me…until Lloyd Samuels came along and ruined everything. I am deeply sorry that you and your fiancée have been involved in this, Mr. Cartwright. I will do what I can to help."

Frank took over the conversation again. "Please get Castelletti back in here now, Lorenzo. We will remove Samuels from these discussions entirely and deal directly with the man in charge."

Grifasi exited the back door to his office. While alone, Adam spoke softly, "I can't believe that Samuels continued to lie about this. I don't want to involve Miranda, or Melinda's family in this, but the man needs to be held accountable—even if everything should turn out fine."

Ben looked toward Frank and back at his son. "Let's see how this ends, Adam. Right now I think you're focused too narrowly. I'm sure that if we all put our heads together, we'll figure out a way to take care of Lloyd Samuels without any adverse publicity affecting Melinda's family. Lloyd is a coward, but I think he fell for the seduction of easy money and got in over his head. Being weak and without a clue about this side of life, he probably thought he could fix things. We've dealt with Castelletti's kinds of people before, Adam, and I'm sure that Frank has too, but Lloyd has probably been sheltered from them. I'm not defending Lloyd, but once he won that first hand of poker, his weakness let him think that he had struck the richest vein of gold imaginable."

Frank nodded his agreement. "There is truth in what your father says and we'll figure something out. For now, Adam, when these men come in, you are going to have to approach this as a business deal. That means no emotion. You'll do the talking because you are the one they asked the ransom of. Don't let them see how much this is torturing you. It pains me to say this, but right now Melinda is a commodity. Our success depends on you making them believe that we will turn over the ransom. You will need to be respectful of Castelletti, but be firm too. Got that?"

Ben added, "You've done this before, Adam. You've stood up to many a thug even though you've not had as much to lose. Approach this as you have always approached a business client and you'll be fine."

Adam didn't have time to answer either man as the door opened and Grifasi led a heavy, hairy man into the room. They were followed by six large, muscular, stern-looking men.

"Gentlemen," Castelletti addressed them, "Lorenzo has explained to me that Mr. Samuels will no longer be taking part in these negotiations. That's fine with me, so let's not spend time talking about the weather. I assume that I am in possession of something you would like to have back."

Adam moved to stand within inches of the larger Castelletti. "You do. And I assume that it will be returned in the same condition as when it was taken."

"Of course. Do you have the payment? If so, we can go get this messy business completed right now."

Les had prepared everyone by going through the various ways that this scene might play out. Adam knew how to respond to Castelletti's suggestion. "I trust that you are an honest businessman, but understand my concern as I ask for proof that my money will be well spent. I always make sure I'm getting what I'm paying for before going ahead with a deal. You will ask Melinda to write something that only I will understand and bring it to Frank Wadsworth's offices by two this afternoon. After I verify its authenticity, we will meet you back here at 5 PM for the exchange. Don't think you can outsmart or outgun us, Mr. Castelletti. We can match you man for man and will not hesitate to bring you and your enterprise to an end should you try to renege on the deal."

Castelletti puffed his chest. "You speak strong words, young man. I hope you have the _forza d'animo_ to back them up."

Frank firmly interjected, "He does. And regarding Mr. Samuels. I'm sure that Lorenzo has told you that he is Mr. Cartwright's brother-in-law. You value family as much as we do, Mr. Castelletti, so you will allow Mr. Cartwright to deal with this _suina_ as he sees fit."

"Agreed." Castelletti motioned for his men to follow him to the back door and spoke softly to them in Italian. He sent them away and returned, saying, "I have enjoyed doing business with you so far, gentlemen, and look forward to seeing you back here this evening when we will each receive what we desire."

"I will pay you only what Samuels owes you. That's $20,000." Adam's stomach turned as he negotiated with the man who controlled Melinda's fate.

"That would seem fair, but I think I shall ask the entire amount for putting up with the 'swine,' as your friend so aptly called him." He left the office without another word.

Ben remarked, "He speaks English well for being foreign."

Grifasi explained, "He was educated by English governesses just as I was; they taught us in English and we learned it well. Of course his family is wealthy for the same reasons that he is wealthy here. They are a scourge on the village where they live and their lavish life comes at the expense of those unlucky enough to do business with them." He sat down heavily in his desk chair. "I am once again sorry for all of this and admit that this is my own cowardice talking, but, Frank, if there is any way you could help me get out of this safely, I would appreciate it."

"I think I can help you with that," Ben offered. "Send word to your home to have your things prepared, get as much cash as you can and someone will pick you up here at the end of your day. They'll stop at your house before taking you somewhere safe. Travel as light as you can manage. For your own good, we can't send you directly to Italy, but I know someone who can get you somewhere you won't be found. You can decide where to go from there."

Frank looked at Ben with respect. "Well, that settles it. We should get going to my office and await the note from Melinda."

As they walked to the coach, Adam questioned his father. "I'm assuming you'll be asking Abel to use his connections for a safe passage?"

His father replied, "Of course. Abel knows the ropes on how to get someone where they need to go better than anyone I've ever known. I'll send him a note telling what to expect once we get to your office." He turned to Frank. "I'm sure you can conjure up someone to get the man to the harbor without anyone knowing what's happening." Ben thought a moment and remembered what else he wanted to ask, "By the way, what did Castelletti say that Adam better have if he was going to stand up to him?"

Frank laughed out loud and waited until they were all seated inside the coach. "Ah, yes, ' _forza d'animo.'_ It means fortitude, but I'm pretty sure Castelletti meant 'balls.'"

Melinda was paging through the catalogue Maxi had brought earlier when she heard the lock turn. She smiled at the woman standing in the doorway. "How's your day going, Maxi? I'm thinking of ordering one of the new corsets advertised in this magazine." Noticing the uneasy look on Maxine's face, her heart began to pound. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I suppose. I think this might actually be good news. Your man asked for proof that you're still alive before he pays the ransom." Maxi held out a tablet and pencil. "He wants you to write something that only he knows about."

She reached for the items as the blood began to throb in her temples. Melinda looked up at the woman who had become her friend-of-sorts over the past day. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What do I do, Maxi?" Melinda's voice caught. "Tell me the truth. What's going to happen to me even if Adam pays the money?"

Maxi said nothing while biting her lower lip.

"Please tell me," Melinda begged. "I need to know what to do."

"Chances are, no matter what Adam does, you'll end up like me, Melinda," Maxi said in a low, sad voice. "I've never seen anyone go home. These people ain't a lending library. What they get, they keep and use until it ain't worth nothing anymore. Sometimes people disappear; sometimes they get shipped off to work in places like this in other cities. You're a fine looking woman, so they know that you'd attract a lot of clientele."

"But how can they get the ransom if they don't take me with them? They can't get the money for me and keep me…can they?" Melinda's breath was coming in rapid bursts.

"Sure they can. They take someone along dressed in your clothes; maybe keep her in the shadows. Once Adam arrives with the money, they show him this other person from a distance to make him let his guard down and Georgie's guys grab the cash and…"

Her face paled as she finished Maxi's thought, "Kill Adam?"

"Sounds about right, I guess. I don't rightly know for sure, but I know they won't let him go off and tell the police about what happened. I'm really sorry about this, Melinda. You're a good woman, and I hate what's happening to you. Is there any chance that your man might try to rescue you? I mean is he smart about this kind of stuff, 'cause most people wouldn't be."

Melinda thought again about the scars on Adam's body and suspected that he had a good knowledge of the world's evil. Yet she didn't know for sure if he'd ever faced anything like this before. She looked up again at Maxi. "What do I do?"

The tall, world-worn woman sat next to Melinda. "I think it depends on Adam. If you're afraid he'll walk into the trap and get hisself killed, then you write a note in a hand he won't recognize and with somethin' that means nothin' to him. He'll think that they're trying to fool him because you're already dead. He'll be brokenhearted for a while, but you can go on knowing that you saved his life. It wouldn't go well for you, though." Maxi let that scenario take shape in Melinda's mind and then offered. "On the other hand if Adam is the man you think he is, he would feel far worse if he found out what happened to you and had to live with knowing that he wasn't even given the chance to try to save you. If you know that he's that kind of man, then you write something good." Maxi gave Melinda a wry smile and dropped her voice to a whisper. "You're a smart woman, Melvin, figure out something to help him if you can."

Melinda whispered back. "Can you tell me where I am? I could work that into something."

"That'd be signing my own death certificate," she said sadly, "but you can tell him without an address. You been here with nothing to do for some hours. I know you can't really see nothing out that window, but there are other things you're aware of. Tell him what you know." Maxi waited a minute and then asked, "You know what you're gonna do?"

She nodded as she began to write and didn't look up until she was done. Melinda handed the tablet back to Maxi, saying, "There. That will have to do."

Maxi read over the words and laughed. "I don't have any idea what this means, but that don't matter much. You think Adam will understand?"

"He should." She watched Maxi leave with the message, and prayed that Adam would understand. He had told her once that life should never be given up without a fight, but she knew that she couldn't face the life that Maxi had. She prayed that Adam would find her, as she also resolved that should she end up facing the same fate as her friend, she would find a way out…or die trying.

Abel had dozed briefly during the night but had been up for hours awaiting news from Adam and Ben. Responding to a knock on the door, a messenger handed him a note and told him that he would remain outside waiting for a reply. After scanning it, Abel had Sadie McIntyre read it aloud to him to make sure he hadn't missed anything and then told the messenger to report back that he would take care of everything. He asked where he should send further news.

The messenger said, "Don't worry, Mr. Stoddard. Just step out onto your porch and someone will come. Mr. Wadsworth has sent a few men to watch the two houses: yours and Miss Hayworth's. You aren't in danger that we're aware of, but Mr. Cartwright asked that we keep our eyes open.

"Which Mr. Cartwright? Abel asked.

The messenger chuckled. "Both of them."

Abel sat at the table and asked Sadie to bring paper and pencil. She sat next to him as they went through the message one more time and made notes.

 _Abel, I hope that you managed to rest a bit, as we will need your assistance today._

 _Adam was correct in his assumption that Melinda's brother-in-law was involved in her kidnapping. We sent his wife, Miranda, to be with her parents and she will bring them to Melinda's house today. They may have arrived already. I ask that you go over there and share this with them. Adam says that you have met William and Margaret and he knows that you can help keep them calm. Their proximity will also mean that we only have to send information to you, and you can alert the others._

 _I would ask that you have Miranda read this message privately before sharing it with her parents. This information will be a heavy shock for her, and she will need to make some decisions. I know that you will help her sort through what might be best._

 _This is what has happened so far:_

 _Lloyd admitted to arranging the kidnapping. Miranda already knows this. What she doesn't know is that Lloyd lied about the reasons. In his defense, I do feel that Lloyd was naïve enough to believe that Melinda's kidnappers would hold her at the hotel where he'd dropped her, and that she would be released unharmed once Adam produced the money. Lloyd was oblivious to the true nature of the people he was dealing with._

 _Adam enlisted the help of Frank Wadsworth last night. It turns out that Frank has a security team with a person in charge who is knowledgeable about the darker side of this city. Neither Frank, nor his security chief, Les, thought that Lloyd's story of being in such dire straits over a bad investment sounded plausible. It took some time, but we finally know the whole story._

 _Lloyd didn't lose money to investments—he gambled it away. A few years back he won at a poker game using funds he was supposed to invest. He was easily swayed by his wins, thinking that this would be a simpler way to amass a fortune for everyone concerned. Of course the winning ended, and the losses began to pile up. By then Lloyd was addicted and couldn't stop. He lost everything, including the money from Miranda's parents, while continuing to think that he could fix everything with one big win._

 _He began playing at establishments owned by a sinister group._ _In desperation, he "borrowed" money from the house to supplement his faltering income. Lloyd assumed he could sell more false deals to bring money in, but he'd become a pariah in Boston's business community and no one would invest. When Castelletti, the owner of the gambling establishment, finally demanded the money on Monday, Lloyd told them about meeting his sister-in-law's wealthy fiancé and said he'd get the money from him. When we didn't fall for his scheme, he helped them take Melinda to force our hand._

 _Les is aware of what's going on here, and unfortunately is uncertain about Melinda's fate even if we pay the ransom. He feels that Adam would likely be killed when he showed up with the money and Melinda would already have been sent away to work for the group's brothels before the ransom exchange ever took place. It's hard to hear such prophesies without despair, but Les also feels that he can help us bring this to a successful conclusion._

 _I know this is a lot to ask of you Abel, but you need to speak to Miranda and her mother to make sure they understand the implication of what I just wrote. They'll have to be strong for Melinda when she returns and need to understand what she might have gone through. We need your prayers as does Melinda. The positive in all this is that she may be kept safer because the Wadsworth name is involved now._

 _I can't disclose our plans. We have secured the ransom money if it comes to that. If there is any good news in this, it is that this will be over by late afternoon. I will send word when I can._

 _As regards Lloyd: he has done unspeakable things, yet Adam doesn't want to bring the Hayworth name into what would become a public humiliation if we turn him over to the police. Lloyd is weak, and his cowardice has put people in jeopardy. We will do whatever we can to bring Melinda safely home, but we also need to deal with Lloyd, and protect another person who tried to help him._

 _Here's where you come in, Abel. A man named Lorenzo Grifasi, as well as Lloyd will be brought to your house this evening. One of Frank's men will remain so you won't have to watch them. In the meantime, I ask that you arrange sea passage for two people, leaving as soon as possible. I know that you can use your connections to secure anonymous passage for both men. Lloyd should sail to San Francisco. Frank's son is there and will assist Lloyd when he arrives and get him set up with a job and a clean start. It will be Miranda's choice whether to accompany him, but he must leave Boston and I know that you can make him disappear quite effectively._

 _The other man, Grifasi, is probably in more danger. He is related to Castelletti, but is not like him. Grifasi's connection to us will be seen as betrayal. His own family is already back in Sicily and we want to help him get to them. I'll leave it to you to figure out how best to arrange that. It is imperative that no one other than the captain knows he's aboard until he's at sea._

 _Please send a message to us as soon as you can get the details in place._

 _Yours in prayer for a safe conclusion,_

 _Ben_

Miranda looked dazed after reading Ben's note aloud to her parents. Margaret swooned as her daughter finished and her opinion on its content was soon known.

"It's all lies! I knew we should never have allowed Melinda to live here with your sister! The woman was insane and gave our daughter such horrible notions. If she'd remained home with us she would never have found this Adam Cartwright and gotten into this mess!"

William looked at her and shook his head. "Why are you blaming Lynne and Adam? Lynne's dead and Adam's trying to get Melinda back. It's Lloyd who got her into this mess."

"I don't believe a word of it!" Margaret screeched. "These Cartwrights are using Lloyd as a ruse, blaming him to take away their own guilt. My son-in-law would never have done what they accuse him of doing."

Miranda was roused from her inertia and said resignedly, "Lloyd is responsible mother; I told you that already. He confessed to taking Melinda to that hotel. I heard it with my own ears."

William offered thoughtfully, "I said once in partial jest that the only way Lloyd could be losing so much money would be if he was gambling it away. I guess that was prophetic."

"It all makes sense to me now," Miranda confessed tonelessly as she stared ahead. "Lloyd was spending more and more evenings away from home. He'd be gone all day talking to clients, and would be in a very good mood when he'd get home after convincing someone to give him money. Those nights he'd hurry through supper and then rush out again saying he had more people to see, and wouldn't return until late in the night. At first he seemed happy, but after a few months he would return home growling and refuse to talk to me about what was bothering him. He finally said that things were a little slow in his business and that we had to cut back. He even mortgaged the house just to have money for our bills. And lately we were living on the kindness of local business people who let us run tabs."

Margaret harrumphed but was not silenced. "Well, I suppose Lloyd may have gotten himself into a problem, but I think these Cartwrights are using it to make themselves look like heroes to show us up. Why don't they just pay that ransom and be done with it?"

Miranda rose and approached her. "Don't you get it mother? Lloyd didn't understand what these people really were like. They are criminals, not people who run a poker game. They care only about the money and can't let Melinda go."

"Oh, heavens. Why are you all trying to frighten me? And why would that evil father of Adam say those things about how Melinda might be forced to work in one of those brothels. It is making me so unsettled."

William walked to where Margaret was sitting and grabbed her arm as he stared into her eyes. " _You_ are unsettled? Is there no end to your selfishness? This is happening to your daughter. My heart goes out to her, not you! Your other daughter is in pain as well. She has lost her husband to this senselessness, and yet you only care for yourself? I'm sure it was not pleasant for Adam's father to tell us what might be happening to our daughter, but it is important to know that even if she is rescued or ransomed, she might not be the same woman that was taken away. Things like this…well…I can't imagine what it would be like to endure what she might be right now. He's warning you so that you won't be shocked, and will be prepared to give comfort if needed." He dropped Margaret's arm as he spat, "Yet I doubt that you would offer much comfort. Perhaps the best you can offer is to leave and allow others to attend to Melinda as she returns."

Margaret stiffened her spine. "I will not feel ashamed for my opinions. If Adam had simply given Lloyd the money in the first place, none of this would have happened. It's his fault that Melinda is in danger: his fault and no one else's. Melinda should never have gotten involved with such an unreliable and unsuitable person as Adam Cartwright!"

Abel joined William and Miranda in front of Margaret and locked his glare on the hateful woman. "You will stop slandering my grandson this instant, madam. Adam is the most reliable man I have ever known and he is like his father in this. Together, they have incredible strength and wisdom. They will do what they must, including giving their own lives to rescue your daughter. I'm sure that Adam regrets not giving Lloyd the money, but your son-in-law lied to cover up his trouble. Both Adam and Ben knew that something wasn't right, but they had no idea that Lloyd was in this much trouble. If he'd been honest with them, they'd have sold everything they have to help."

Margaret's face was beet red, but she said nothing as Abel continued.

"And concerning Lynne Hayworth, she was a remarkable woman. Oddly, while you have no problem noting her faults, the woman never once said a disparaging word about you in all the years I was her neighbor. She loved all your daughters, even while being partial to Melinda. As an observer, I'd say that Lynne did not influence Melinda, as much as allowed her to become everything she sought for herself. You should be thankful instead of tearing her to shreds."

Drawing a long, deep breath, Margaret appeared ready to pull Abel limb-from-limb when he raised his hand to silence her.

"A final warning Mrs. Hayworth. You use your tongue as a weapon. It is a sharp sword that you use to cut down whomever you attack with it. But there is a double edge on such a sword that cuts both ways. Should you continue to wield it without restraint or discretion, it will eventually rebound back at you and cut with deadly consequences. The trouble for you is that you are so self-absorbed that you won't even know what you've done until you suffocate on your own blood."

She gasped and then hissed as she began to rise, "William, are you going to allow this man to speak to me like this?"

William glanced at Abel appreciatively and then looked back at his wife. "Not only am I going to allow him to do so, but I will shake his hand for finally putting you in your place. He is right you know. You cut everyone in this family off at the knees with that tongue of yours and we're all tired of it. You've attacked Melinda so many times that it was only with Lynne's care that she managed to survive and become the woman she is. You will learn to control your tongue, Margaret, or you will have no one left to use it on. Now, sit down and quietly think about what you've just heard and let me know what you'd like to do about it."

Margaret sat down. Her flushed complexion had paled and tears began to roll down her cheeks, but she said nothing more.

Abel asked Miranda to come with him to the kitchen where he told her, "I know you've been given so many things to think about and you must be very unsettled right now, but I have to ask you to consider what you want to do so that I can proceed as Ben has asked of me. I suspect that Lloyd is already ashamed and will become more so when he finally understands all the mistakes he's made. He has certainly endangered a number of people, but my son-in-law senses that this came about more from Lloyd's gullibility than from an evil heart. Only you can decide whether _you_ can forgive him and if you want to remain his wife." He touched her hand and then brought her chin up to look at him. "No one will think less of you if you wish to accompany him to the West Coast. You have some years together and you may not be ready to give up on him just yet."

Miranda stepped closer and allowed Abel to hold her. "I don't know how I feel, Mr. Stoddard. I'm numb from my head to my toes and nothing makes sense. Right now I don't know how I can ever forgive Lloyd, and it may still depend on what happens this afternoon. If Melinda makes it out of this in one piece, I might be more inclined to look past some of it, but…"

Abel patted her shoulder. "These decisions are never easy, child. I have been on Lloyd's side of this sort of situation in my life and didn't deserve forgiveness either. But I received it and it made me a better man. Perhaps it will work that way with your husband as well. I cannot tell you how to feel or what to do." He took a step back to see her face. "Do you see yourself sailing with him?"

"No."

"Then that's your first answer. I will book passage for one. Perhaps being alone for some weeks at sea will give your husband time to consider his sins. That same period will give you time to decide whether you can forgive him and see your future together. You can always join him later."

Miranda nodded. "I can't imagine that you ever did anything that would have hurt someone this badly. If you could become better for it, then maybe there is hope for Lloyd. But for now, I'll let him go and he can prove to me that he is capable of change."


	3. Til Death Do Us Part - Part 3

**Part 3**

 **'** **Til Death Do Us Part**

 **One**

 **Rewriting Shelley**

Scuffling and loud voices in the hallway made Melinda lay down her book and stiffen with fear as she listened to what was being said. She heard Georgie's Italian-inflected voice shouting, "We have too many men needing service to let a room go unused."

Maxi's voice spat back, "You don't know what you're doing, Georgie. Think about it. This woman is worth money from the ransom, but she won't be worth anything if you do this! She's never been with a man as far as I can tell. These men don't want…beginners…and you will face Luis's wrath for hurting her."

The man laughed loudly. " _Senza macchia!_ I can charge more for that! She seems too old to be untouched, but she's a good-looker, and will bring in a fine price for the first time. As for Luis…I haven't heard from him other than his wanting that note from her. I know what we do with those we kidnap. This woman won't be here after today anyway, so I might as well get something for her room and board before she's shipped away."

Her voice was frantic as Maxi tried to reason. "This woman ain't like the others we've had in here. Even you can see that. You need to think on this longer before you do something you might regret. I think she's got connections out in the world. You hurt her and this place is gonna be shut down and you'll go to jail."

"Will you shut up! I can't think with you spitting all those words at me."

Melinda was trembling but breathed more easily when she heard heavy footsteps walking away. The key turned and Maxi stood in the doorway, wide-eyed with worry.

"I've done what I can, Melinda, but I think he's gone to get someone for you. I'll try to turn him away if he comes, but I'm scared too. This ain't much of a life, but it's all I got." She began to close the door again. "I have to get back now, but I'll try to come back and open the lock if Georgie puts a guy in here with you. All I'm saying is that if you see a chance to run, go for it. You got that?"

"Yes!" Melinda shouted, her teeth chattering with fear as she began to understand what was going to happen. Regaining control, she added, "Thank you, Maxine. I know you've done all you could. When I get out of here, I'm coming back for you. _You_ got that?"

Before Maxi could answer, the door was sent flying back on its hinges as George tried to enter. There was another man behind him who could barely stand upright and held onto Maxi's shoulder, boosting himself high enough to see into the room. "Hey there, pretty lady," he slurred as he caught himself on the door jamb when he began to tip backwards. "I'm going to give you something to remember for the rest'a yer life. I might be short, but most women don't complain about the length of other things I got." He began to giggle as he held more tightly to the jamb. "I think I'm pretty good at doing what I'm about to, so don't you look so dang scared. I'll be gentle with ya."

Maxi screamed at Georgie, "You can't do this! Please, I beg of you. I'll hurry and do twice as many men to make up for it."

"It's not your business, Maxi," Georgie said as he slapped her hard across the face. "I already took $50 from this man so that he could have first chance at this one."

Maxi recovered enough to push at the drunk, sending him to the floor. But as she turned to look again at Melinda, Georgie's big arm caught her at shoulder level, lifting her off her feet and sending her flying into the hall where she crumpled in a heap.

Georgie pinned Melinda with a deadly glare. "You do what this man wants of you or I'll do it myself. And I _won't_ be gentle." He assisted the drunk to his feet and gave him a nudge into the room. "She's all yours, mister."

She could see Maxi on the floor outside the door as it was pulled shut and locked. Melinda looked at the drunken sailor who'd gone to sit on the bed, then at the locked door again. Finally she turned to the window. The panes of glass were thin, and large enough that she would fit easily through the bottom section without hitting the sturdier frame. She'd taken a good look outside earlier to see that there were a number of heavy branches just beyond the glass that she could grab onto…if everything went just right. Her parents had always called her a tomboy when she was young because she climbed trees fearlessly, and she was about to find out if her skills were still intact. She glanced again at the greasy-looking lump sitting on the bed leering at her, and knew what she had to do.

After waiting so long to be Adam's bride, she was not about to let that be taken from her. Adam would say that it made no difference—that the only thing that counted was that she was alive. It _would_ make a difference to him though; he just wouldn't be able to tell her the truth. Adam would never be able to look at her without feeling his own guilt festering in his soul. He would blame himself for not getting to her in time, and for not being able to save her from this act of violence. It wouldn't matter because of anything she'd done; only that _he_ hadn't done enough. Melinda made the decision that she couldn't allow these people to take away her soul—because if they had that, her life wouldn't be worth living anyway.

She considered the man on her bed a final time. When he'd first entered, she thought he was so drunk that he might pass out. However he'd begun to focus on what he was about to do, and he now looked awake and eager. He was small as well as drunk and she wondered if she could fight him off…but then what? Georgie would come back and make good on his threat. There was only one way out of this room, so she prayed for a miracle. _Please, dear Lord, send your angels to protect me. You allowed Adam to survive a fall through a tree and I ask that you might be inclined to do the same for me._

She looked around the room to find something to protect herself from the breaking glass. There was nothing, not even a blanket on the bed. She'd thought about using this method of exit earlier, and had come to some conclusions that were again confirmed. The man in her room was drunk yet he would still be able to pull her back inside if she lingered in her task. Further, the breaking glass would alert Georgie who could return quickly enough to thwart her effort if it wasn't accomplished in haste. It was clear that she couldn't break the glass first and work her way out to a sturdy branch. She would have to accomplish the escape in one fluid chain of action. Her last thoughts before committing to her plan were of the man she loved. _Please understand, Adam. If I don't make it, it is only because I don't want to live without you._ A grin crossed her face as she thought; t _his would be so much easier if I could just open the window_. Raising her eyes to heaven, she prayed, _Father, please protect me._

Angling her torso forward, she took her first step, but then hesitated as she heard movement outside the door. The key turned quietly followed by the sound of footsteps hurrying away. "Maxi," she mouthed silently. Her friend had recovered enough to unlock the door as she had promised. Melinda was suddenly presented with a way out that didn't involve flight and acrobatics. She had no idea what lay on the other side of that door, where the hallways led to, or how she'd find her way out of the house. This escape route could prove to be as perilous as the window, yet it was a chance she would take.

She walked over to the bed and asked the sailor to stand. Placing a trembling hand on his shoulder she said, "Why don't you get those boots off while I get undressed."

A large smile replaced the leer as he said, "Well ain't you eager. You musta been waiting for this for a long time!"

Melinda quietly muttered, "I _have_ been waiting a long time, but you're not the one I've been waiting for," as she removed the six-inch hatpin that she'd woven into her skirt the evening before. She raised her arm above her head and then drove the needle into the man's shoulder as he bent over to pull off his boot. A wave of nausea swirled her stomach as the point snagged on the cloth of his shirt and then hit something hard. She kept applying pressure until the man dropped to the floor screaming, and clawing at his arm. Wasting no time, she made for the door, opened it and ran.

The man's howling brought others to stand in their doorways, curious to know what was going on. Melinda pointed back toward the room she'd come from and shouted, "That man needs help. He's having some sort of fit." She continued on to the end of the hall where she saw steps leading down. Her heart soared as she thought of sailing down the stairs and out the front door.

The escape came to an abrupt halt when Georgie walked out of the room at the head of the stairs and grabbed at her arm. By then, the drunk had made it into the hall, screaming that he'd been stabbed. Amid the noise and confusion, Melinda spat in George's face, kicked at anything she could connect with, and dug her nails into his skin. He released his hold when she bit him, giving her a chance to run again. She'd made it halfway down the stairs when a shot rang out from above. Melinda dropped. Momentum continued to propel her forward as she tumbled down the remaining steps, her lifeless body coming to a stop at the feet of Luis Castelletti as he entered the front door.

Castelletti shooed away the curious customers that had filled the doorway of the parlor. "Go back inside. There's been an accident, but everything is fine. Have a drink on the house while you wait." When they were gone, he spoke to Georgie through clenched teeth. "What have you done, you fool?"

"She was trying to get away! I had no choice," he replied while remaining at the top of the stairs. "Why am I suddenly a fool for doing what we have always done with those we hold?"

"This woman is connected to one of the most powerful people in this city. I had no idea that Samuels knew anyone important." He bent down to roll Melinda over and gasped as he saw the blood on her dress and his hand. "You shot her…in the back? I heard a gunshot as I came to the door, but hoped I was mistaken."

"I told you, she was running. The customer she was with came out howling that she'd stabbed him. I had to stop her somehow."

"Did she stab him? How?"

One of the brothel women came to the head of the stairs while Georgie blocked her view of the scene below. "I just checked out the guy in that room. There was a hatpin in his arm. I yanked it out and he seems fine."

Georgie pushed her away. "Go make sure he leaves happy."

Castelletti shook his head as he wiped the blood from his hand on Melinda's dress. "A hatpin… You killed her for a hatpin!" His face reddened and he shook his head as his rage built, " _Stupido_! This is madness! Get her down below. Arrange for the body to get out to a ship tonight. They can toss it overboard once they're out to sea." He waited for Georgie to come down the steps and slapped him hard across the face. "You've ruined us here. I must now figure out a way to stall Cartwright and Wadsworth until we can clear our houses and get out of town. We'll head back to New York and stay out of sight for a while."

Georgie wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand and probed the cut with his tongue. "You haven't let something like this stop you before. I never thought I'd see the day when Luis Castelletti would run away with his tail between his legs. _Vigliacco!_ Who are these men to make you shake like a dog?"

Castelletti slipped a small revolver from his vest pocket and shoved it into Georgie's ribs. "I should kill you for calling me a coward!" After the outburst, he replaced the gun in his vest and said, "I still may kill you later, but right now I need you. Take this body away and then get the customers out of here. Have the women ready to travel in two hours. I'll go make arrangements for transportation and send carriages and extra men to make sure they all get to the train. You don't need to bring anything other than your ledgers and the women. I'll send word to clear out the rest of the places I own as well. Those Cartwrights and Wadsworth won't stop until they've shut down everything I own once they find out the woman is dead."

Castelletti bent down again to look at Melinda. "She was a beautiful woman, was she not? Mr. Cartwright will be…disappointed."

Ben joined Frank in his office and they talked about ranch life and business while eating lunch. Everything was done for the time being. They didn't expect any news from Castelletti for a bit and the money had already arrived. There were no plans to use it, however. It had been brought for the sole purpose of convincing anyone who might be watching that they were going ahead with the payment.

The real plan had been to follow whoever the Sicilian sent to get the note from Melinda. Once there was proof of where she was being held, they were going to storm the house long before it was time to meet for the ransom exchange.

A knock on Frank's door startled the two men, and a small, wiry man handed a folded note to Ben. After looking it over, he told Frank, "It's from Abel. He's got passage booked for both men to leave early tomorrow. Lloyd sails for San Francisco while Grifasi will go to Spain. He can get to where he wants to go from there. Apparently Abel knows both captains and they are willing stow their cargo with no one being the wiser."

"Excellent. Abel seems to be a very efficient man." Frank drained his water glass. "How's Adam holding up, Ben? He didn't look good when we got back here."

"He wanted to be alone, but I'll go check on him now. He'll want to hear of Abel's news and I suspect we could get the note from Melinda soon."

Adam was sitting on the floor of his office, his head on his knees with his arms tightly grasped around his bent legs. The pain in his gut was constant now and this was the only position that offered any relief. He raised his head when his father entered, and saw that Ben was carrying a plate with a sandwich. Clapping a hand over his mouth, Adam breathed deeply, swallowed the bile that had risen and waited until he could speak. "Take that out of here, please, Pa."

After setting the plate on a desk outside the door, Ben reentered and went to help Adam stand up. "You haven't eaten a thing since I've been here son, and Abel told me you were sick for two days before that. Are you sure you're up to going with us? Maybe you should go see a doctor."

"Would you have gone to see a doctor if someone had taken one of us?" He shuddered as another wave of pain tore through his abdomen.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with you?"

"None, but it doesn't matter. All that's important is finding Melinda."

"Do you think you can at least rest a little before we go? I'll come get you when something happens."

"I've tried to rest, but I can't, Pa. I think I drifted off a few times last night and that will have to suffice." There was silence as Adam tried to decide how to tell his father what he needed to say. "You know that I'll keep pushing myself until…I can't anymore." He looked pleadingly at his father. "If I can't finish this, promise me that you'll keep going until Melinda is found."

Ben tried to sound optimistic. "You'll be fine, Adam."

"Maybe, but promise me, Pa."

"I promise."

Frank and Les appeared at Adam's doorway with an envelope as Ben's assurance was being given. Frank said quietly, "It's here, Adam. The note from Melinda is here."

Adam took the paper and unfolded it, carefully scanning the message as a smile briefly replaced the look of pain that had become the norm.

"Is it from her?" Les questioned.

"Yes. It's a poem. No one else would know its meaning." Adam felt a moment of hope again as he asked, "Were your men able to follow Castelletti's people, Les?"

Les sighed heavily before answering, "They did. But there's a problem."

"A problem?" Ben asked. "What kind of problem?"

"Castelletti might be new in town, but he's not new to crime. He's cautious and sent each of the men that were with him this morning to different places. Our men followed them, and each came out with an envelope that was taken back to Castelletti's main gambling house. The person who brought the note to us is not one of those who went out at first, so I'm sure he doesn't know where the note originated. Castelletti figured that we'd question the guy. He can't tell us what he doesn't know."

Frank was unfazed by the admission. "So, we go to all of these places at the same time! Where's the problem?"

"That would make sense, but we only have enough men to hit maybe two or three at the same time, Boss. You have a good-sized team and I could enlist more…but there's not enough time for me to organize such a huge endeavor in the hour or so that we have to make our move."

The four men sat in silence as the truth once again dimmed the hopes of finding Melinda.

Ben broke the quiet. "What do we do?"

Les shrugged and sucked air through his teeth, making a whistling noise as he thought it through. "We pick out the two places she's most likely to be at and go to those. I can alert the police to look at some others, but... We have to pray that we hit the right place with our first assault."

Adam looked again at Melinda's note and began to smile. "Are any of these places perhaps a brothel near the harbor?"

Les sat forward with interest. "Yes, there's an old boarding house just up the hill from the docks. Why do you ask?"

"It's this note. I think Melinda is telling us where she is. What a clever woman! At first I didn't even see it. I thought that she might have simply forgotten the words of the poem in her duress, but now it makes perfect sense."

"How so, Adam?" Ben asked.

"It's a poem by Shelley. The first stanza she wrote is correct.

 _The fountains mingle with the river,  
And the rivers with the ocean;  
The winds of heaven mix forever  
With a sweet emotion;_

 _Nothing in the world is single;  
All things by a law divine  
In another's being mingle-  
Why not I with thine?_

Frank nodded. "I'm familiar with it. _Love's Philosophy_ , isn't it?"

Les gave his boss a sidelong look, and tried not to smile. "I never thought of you as being the poem reading type, Boss."

"Well of course I read poetry…" Frank said as he winked, "when Marian makes me. But go on, Adam. What are the clues to where she's at?"

"There's a second stanza, and that's what's off. I'll say it as it actually goes so that you can hear the difference in what she wrote today. It should read,

 _See the mountains kiss high Heaven  
And the waves clasp one another;  
No sister-flower would be forgiven  
If it disdained its brother;_

 _And the sunlight clasps the earth  
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:  
What are all these kissings worth  
If thou kiss not me?"_

Adam stood and began pacing. "But here's what Melinda wrote,

 _Harbor bells kiss clouds in heaven_

 _Joined by gulls in lonesome cries_

 _Beyond where love not freely given_

 _Branches kiss the azure skies_

 _Bound in knots I cling to earth_

 _Near where moonbeams kiss the sea_

 _What are all these kissings worth_

 _If thou kiss not me?_

She says she's near the sea, where harbor bells ring, the gulls cry and she even says that she's tied up in a brothel with a tree outside!"

Frank shook his head. "I understand the bells and gulls but where do you get the brothel from?"

"It's written so well; I don't know how she did it so quickly. In the fourth line she says she's in a place where love isn't freely given…a brothel!"

Ben stood behind Adam's chair reading the words over his shoulder. "It does sound like she was sending you a map. Are you sure about this, son?"

"Absolutely!"

Les rose, saying, "Then we go to the brothel. We'll leave in one hour."

 **Two**

 **Head 'Em Up, Move 'Em Out**

Adam sent word back with Castelletti's man saying that the note was valid and promised that they would meet as planned for the exchange. Meanwhile Frank and Ben finalized plans to get Lloyd and Lorenzo Grifasi to Abel's house to await their departures.

Les went on ahead to speak with the local police force after assuring himself that he wasn't being followed. He knew that Castelletti probably paid the street cops to turn a blind eye to his operations, but he knew the men in charge would want to take the lead when the brothel where Melinda was being kept was raided. There was constant pressure from the city to shut these places down and it would be a feather in their cap to do so.

Georgie Salvatore grunted as he carried Melinda's body down the steps to the root cellar. There was a door in the dirt enclosure that opened onto a path leading directly to the harbor. He wished he had more time and could just bury her, saving himself the trouble of having to pay someone from a ship to pick her up later.

Once she was stowed away, he went back upstairs and began knocking on doors, telling the occupants to hurry it up and clear out. He hadn't counted on the unwillingness of the sailors who hadn't seen a woman in months to rush, and those who had already paid and were still waiting, refused to leave without satisfaction. Georgie's request was met with angry curses and threats as the men promised violence if not allowed to do what they'd come for. It was well over an hour before Georgie was escorting the last of them out the door and shouting at the women to hurry with their packing.

Maxi ran for Melinda's room when she was finally done. She'd heard the commotion and shot earlier and had assumed the worst, yet hoped she was wrong. The room was empty. Maxi went inside and took Melinda's hat from the dresser. There was no time to grieve properly, but there was enough time for Maxi to make up her mind about her own future. A shadow falling across the floor made her look up to see Georgie's hulking frame filling the doorway. She looked at him with contempt. "I don't suppose she got away, did she. Did you shoot her?"

He snarled, "What difference does it make what I did? What was she to you anyway? I never saw you get so attached to anyone before."

She walked to him and looked up into his eyes. "What she was, was a good person, Georgie. You can't even understand what that is." She grinned malevolently and added, "But with all this rushing around, packing and clearing out, I assume that what I warned you about is coming to pass. Melinda's man is coming for you and you're afraid, Georgie. I can smell it on you." He slapped her hard again, but she laughed. "Well thanks for that. At least now I match. How would it look if I only had a bruise on one side of my face?" Her next words insured her fate, but she didn't care anymore. Another good woman had died at the hands of this man and his cohorts and she couldn't go on thinking that her fate would be any different. She would be worked until she got sick and died just like the others she'd seen come and go. "I'm not going with you, Georgie," she said with conviction.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just what I said. I'm done. You can shoot me if you need to, but I'm walking out that front door. I can't pretend that this life is anything but a living hell. I'd rather be dead."

He grabbed Maxi by the hair, stuck a gun in her back and dragged her down the hall. "Walk down the steps. I already hurt my back carrying a corpse. You're at least gonna help me out a little before I kill you."

Maxi took the first step, still hanging onto Melinda's hat as she began to cry. "I don't want to die, Georgie. It's just that the living is too hard."

 **Three**

 **Confessions and Absolution**

William brought a cup of tea outside to his wife. She'd gone out shortly after Abel had left and hadn't come back in. He could tell that she had been very upset at the exchange between them and wondered how she had come to deal with it. Handing her the cup, he urged, "Why don't you drink some tea, dear. You missed lunch and could use a little something."

She took the cup, giving him a brief smile. "Thank you. I didn't feel much like eating. I've had a lot of thinking to do."

"I suppose you have." He sat on the bench next to her.

Balancing the saucer and cup on her knee, she turned to face him directly. "It must be close to two already. Didn't the note say that they would know what has befallen Melinda by mid-afternoon?"

"Yes, but even if something is going on, we won't hear about it until a little later, Margaret."

"The waiting is hard, isn't it?" Her face screwed into a sob as the cup and saucer slid to the ground, shattering on impact. "William, I never meant it to sound as though I didn't care what happened to our daughter. I was so afraid that I didn't want to think about what she might be going through. Such ugly things came out of my mouth. I didn't mean any of it."

He pulled her close. "I think I knew that, dear. Perhaps our emotions caused us both to say some hurtful things." After letting her cry for a few minutes, William pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "I do believe the right people are out there to give Melinda the best chance at being found. I wouldn't have known where to start in figuring this all out. Adam and his father seem to be doers, whereas I'm a watcher. They know whom to go to for help and how to get things done."

Margaret patted her husband's hand. "I don't think we know what we're capable of doing until we have to do it. You would have done the best you could. That's all anyone can do."

"Thank you, Margaret."

"William?" The tears began again. "When did I become such a shrew? I've been thinking about Mr. Stoddard saying that I have a sharp-edged tongue that I use to hurt people. Have I always done that?"

"One of the things that I loved about you when we first met was your quick wit. You said things that were insightful and often left jaws dropping, but only because of your way with words, not because they were unkind. We've been married for 36 years. I can't rightly say when you switched from being witty to being harsh, but it's been some time now. You allow your words to come out without considering the harm they may inflict. I often still see the woman I fell in love with, but if I'm being truthful, there are many occasions now when your words leave me wincing and dismayed instead of impressed as I once was."

Margaret nodded and then asked, "I've been a horrible wife and mother too."

"That's not true, Margaret. Our girls love you and so do I."

"One of our girls doesn't love me, William. One of our girls thinks very little of me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Melinda doesn't love me. She loved Lynne. She modeled her life after Lynne, not me, and hates anything that I suggest."

William thought about this for a moment. "I don't think that's true. But I can see where it seemed that way at times. The fact is, in thinking back, your harshness seemed to begin with Melinda and Lynne."

"You may be right about that. Melinda and I always seemed at odds, but when she'd come home from stays with your sister, we got along better…at least at the beginning. Before I knew it, Melinda was a young woman and I couldn't say anything to her without starting an argument. I began to resent Lynne's influence and found that Melinda had ideas that were foreign to me. When I'd try to tell her how I felt, she'd laugh at me and call me old-fashioned. I dug in then William. I dug in hard and determined that I was going to make her see the error of _her_ ways. Maybe that attitude began to infect everything I said."

"That's very insightful, Margaret. I wish you had told me back then how you felt. I might have helped."

"I was afraid, William. I felt like a failure and it hurt so badly. I think I was jealous too. Melinda didn't seem to need me at all. She was making her own life, doing what she wanted, and then went off to school, began traveling and was recognized for her talent and ideas. I was intentionally hurtful at first. I thought that if Melinda saw how unhappy I was, she might at least try to see my point of view."

Margaret dabbed at her tears. "In the end, Lynne won her heart while I became a blowhard stranger. We have nothing in common. Yet I know that I was the one who pushed Melinda away from me with my ugly words. Mr. Stoddard was right. I do often feel like I'm suffocating—in my own unhappiness. I think I lash out at everyone because I felt such guilt for failing my daughter, and figured that I was failing everyone else as well. It became a vicious cycle."

She took a deep breath. "At first I thought Melinda's was being willful in refusing to show interest in anyone I introduced her to. I thought she was refusing to marry to hurt me, rather than because she loved Adam so much."

"You know differently now?"

"Yes. I knew it from the moment they walked into the room at Miranda's house. The way he looks at Melinda, and she at him: they are obviously in love and finally together. He's a good man; he's kind, gentle and honest. And instead of welcoming him, I said such awful things. It was as though I couldn't stop myself, just as I couldn't stop myself today. You and Mr. Stoddard shocked me into taking a look at what I'm doing."

"That's a good thing then, I presume."

"Yes, it's a good thing." She smiled even as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for it all and now realize that I may not have the chance to make things right." The sobs wracked her body as she fell into her husband's arms again.

William spoke gently. "You think that you and Melinda are not alike, Margaret?" He chuckled. "Where do you think she gets her intelligence and spunk? Lynne always said that Melinda was much like you. You two had trouble getting along, not because you had nothing in common, but because you were so much alike. You both want things done your way and both ways make sense, so you grate on each other like a rasp on wood. It is the same qualities that have blossomed in Melinda that drew me to you and keep me at your side. Honey, you got off course, but you can find your way back."

The tears stopped as she asked, "You think that I can?"

"Absolutely." William kissed her cheek.

"I didn't encourage Melinda to marry someone just because I thought she would be an old maid, William. I honestly thought she would find out one day that Adam had gone away and hadn't given her a second thought. And then she was so unhappy when she came back from Sacramento that I became very worried for her. I should have told her that instead of harping at her about marrying someone else." Margaret smiled and sighed. "It seems that she will have her happy ending after all." Margaret's happy words were crushed as she thought of her daughter in danger and she clung to Williams arm. "We have to believe this will have a happy ending, don't we?"

"Yes, Margaret."

She bent to pick up the shards of the china from the grass as she said, "I'm going over to the Stoddard house. I owe Abel an apology, and then I'm going to tend to Miranda."

Margaret took a few steps and looked back at her husband. "I have always loved you William. Do you remember when we used to look at each other like Adam and Melinda do? Is there a chance that we might see each other that way again?"

William walked to her and touched her face. "I don't see why not."

 **Four**

 **A Mist That Vanisheth**

Georgie was struggling to get Maxi down the steps while trying to disguise the fact that he had a gun in her back. Women from the house were squeezing past them trying to get up the steps while asking questions about the rapid evacuation.

One of the younger girls sniped as she passed by, "I still don't understand why we have to move. I hope the place we go to will be better than this rattrap."

Georgie hollered at her to "shut up and get moving."

Another woman called down the stairs that she needed help with a case. "I hope you don't expect me to carry this heavy thing by myself. It's full of your notebooks, Georgie. There ain't no way I can lift it."

When Georgie turned back to tell the woman to leave it at the top of the stairs, Maxi jerked away, losing a handful of hair in the process. She had nearly made it to the last step when she heard the big man shout, "Stop running Maxi, or I'll shoot. I always liked you some, but that don't mean a thing right now. I got the feeling that this whole mess started because you opened the door to that room. How else did that woman get loose?"

She stopped and said without turning, "You gonna shoot me in the back, Georgie? Is that how you shot Melinda too?"

Maxi heard Georgie draw the hammer back on his revolver just as the front door burst open and two men ran in with their guns drawn. Two older men entered behind them followed by police officers.

The house had already been in a commotion, and seeing several men entering with drawn weapons did nothing to ease that. The women shrieked and ran like ants leaving a disturbed nest, yet Adam didn't seem aware of any of it as his eyes focused on Maxi's hands.

Ben hollered for everyone to stop where they were. The depth and strength of his voice calmed the chaos immediately. "We're here to help, ladies, so if you'll all please move to that room over there—," he indicated the parlor and pointed at one of the policemen as he continued, "this officer will explain what's going on and tell you what he needs you to do."

Once the entryway was cleared, Adam demanded of Maxi, "Where's the woman who owns the hat you're holding?"

She'd forgotten that she still had it, and held it out to him as though offering him a precious gift. She said softly, "You must be Adam. She knew you'd come."

Adam holstered his gun and took the straw bonnet from her hands. "Where's Melinda," he asked again. "You must know her if you could deduce who I am."

She nodded slightly. "I watched over her while she was here. She was a lovely woman and told me about you."

Ben asked gently, "Who are you, miss? And why do you say that she 'was' a lovely woman?"

"They call me Maxi, but Melinda called me Maxine. If felt good to be called by my real name." She breathed deeply as she used her thumb to point back to Georgie, who'd lowered his gun and had remained standing like a pillar of stone throughout the bedlam. "You need to ask him what became of Melinda. I wasn't here when it happened, but I have a pretty good idea."

Georgie's voice was a threatening snarl, "You be quiet, Maxi. Don't you be telling these men anything if you know what's good for you."

Maxi laughed as she hiccupped in a sob and turned toward the ogre standing behind her on the steps. "What are you gonna do to me, Georgie?" She offered an aside to the group below, "Imagine an old oaf like him wantin' to be called Georgie, like a little boy. It makes me gag every time I say it."

"Shut up Maxi," the ogre threatened again.

She didn't. "He brought Melinda here yesterday in the late-afternoon. I talked with her while helpin' her out, and got to likin' her a lot. I even managed to keep her safe until an hour ago when this coward decided he'd put her to work."

Adam gasped, but Maxi reached out to touch his arm. "Don't you worry none about that part of it, Adam. Melinda got away, but I think Georgie decided he couldn't let her go and…"

Georgie hissed as he raised his gun again, aiming it at Maxi's back. He yelled, "You stupid whore. I told you to shut up," as he pulled the trigger.

Two shots rang in near unison. The slug from the police officer's gun being first to leave the barrel, hit Georgie in the chest, knocking him backwards onto the steps and sending his shot high as he pulled his trigger. Georgie's bullet grazed Maxi's temple and lodged in the door frame between Frank and Ben.

Adam squatted on the step below where Maxi had collapsed, as the others ran past them to check on George Salvatore. The big Sicilian was soon declared dead.

The officer headed upstairs to check the rooms while Ben, Frank and Les stood over Maxi as Adam examined her wound. "It's not serious, but I've had a similar one to this, so I know that your ears are ringing and it hurts like the devil."

Frank passed Adam a white handkerchief to use as a bandage as he urged, "Ask her what happened to Melinda."

His head was spinning, causing Adam to stand up again and lean on the stair rail as he let Ben tie his neckerchief around Maxi's head to hold the fabric in place. He wasn't sure whether it was his illness, or the thought of what they were about to hear concerning Melinda that was causing his distress but he took a deep breath and continued. "Are you able to talk now?"

Maxi chuckled as she looked up at Adam and said, "Melinda told me that you leaned on stuff. Now I see what she meant."

Adam smiled and agreed, "People have been telling me to stand up straight my whole life and it never worked. It seems like you and Melinda talked a lot while you helped her. Maybe you can finish helping her by telling us what you think George did to her?"

Maxi took Adam's hand in a vice-like grip. "I heard running and then a shot. By the time I could look, Melinda was gone."

Frank asked, "Do you think he killed her?"

Maxi shrugged. "I don't know nothin' for sure. But whatever happened spooked Georgie. He was clearin' out this house. I figure he was waitin' for his partner, a guy named Luis Castelletti, to show up. He let Georgie run this place, but Castelletti was the one in charge."

Ben sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "That makes a lot of sense. It was Castelletti who said he had Melinda, but he must have had this man do the dirty work. Do you know where Melinda might be now? We need to find her."

"I refused to go when Georgie said we were leaving." She looked at Adam and then to Ben. "I thought I could live this way, but after knowing Melinda for even a little while, I wanted better for myself and told him I wasn't going. He didn't like that and said he would shoot me, but that I had to walk downstairs so he didn't hurt his back _again_ carrying me down."

Les asked, "What'd he mean by that?"

Maxi started to cry as she said, "There's a room of sorts under the house. It's below the outside steps and a long way to carry a body. A path connects from there to the harbor and I think Georgie puts stuff in there that he wants picked up and taken to the boats."

Adam didn't wait to hear more, he was already moving toward the back of the house while the others followed. He flew down the outer steps and looked for a door. It was Les who spotted the wood that was hidden by an overgrowth of weeds and vines. An arc carved in the dirt indicated that it had been used recently. Les yanked the door open.

Ben caught up and barred Frank and Les from entering before his son. "Please," he said, "I think Adam needs to go first."

Adam stooped to clear the lintel and entered the musky-smelling root cellar. He heard no sounds and at first despaired at not seeing anything but a few barrels and wooden crates. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering in from the door, he saw a mound lying by the back wall.

Ben followed his son after lighting a lamp he'd found, and the two of them approached the form.

Adam recognized the dress immediately. "Melinda," he said softly, as he knelt, "we're here to take you home." There was no movement and he was disheartened by the coolness of her skin as he touched her cheek.

Father and son gently turned Melinda onto her back. Her arm rolled off her body as they did so, lifelessly hitting the dirt with a thud. Ben kept his reaction to a minimum as he held his breath and reached to open one of her eyelids. It was hard to tell anything in the shadows, but there was no mistaking the dark stains that covered her dress from shoulder to waist, and the iron-laden smell of drying blood.

Adam moaned as he laid his hand on her ribcage and felt no movement. He felt no pulse either, and shivered as he took her cold hand into his.

Ben watched his son's face collapse in agony. Frank and Les had made their way inside, but stood a few steps away, remaining quietly respectful of the scene.

He had held on until now, but Adam finally let his pain take him away, hoping that whatever had been making him sick would allow him to join Melinda. He sat in the dirt, leaned against the earthen wall and thought, _For what is life? It is a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away_ _3_ *

Adam could hear shouting, but couldn't grasp the words. The pain he'd contended with over several days was twining through his body like fiery fingers—both excruciating and exhilarating as it touched each nerve ending like a hot coal. He could make out his father's voice saying, "Adam," and it seemed the man was trying to tell him something important. But he couldn't concentrate on anything as he let his mind hover in a state of nothingness to combat the pain. All he could feel was his own heart as the rhythm slowed and weakened. The rush of air in and out of his lungs was the only sound he could hear clearly…until he heard nothing.

Activity around the two bodies in the cellar became frenzied. Ben continued to shout at Adam, shaking his shoulders to rouse him, while Les went to get the men who were guarding the house to help carry Adam and Melinda to the coach that was waiting at the curb.

Frank exited the cellar with Ben. They walked shoulder-to-shoulder supporting each other as they made their way to the street. Once at the curb, Frank hollered, "Take us to Massachusetts General!" as he began to climb in.

Ben turned to Les before following Frank. "Go find that young woman who helped us. She needs to go to the hospital too."

Les found Maxi leaning against the stair rail in a daze.

She looked up at him and asked, "Did they find her?"

Les nodded. "She was right where you thought she'd be. Thank you."

"How is she?" she asked as Les lifted her to carry her to the coach. His silent shrug carried no encouragement and she buried her head in his shoulder and wept.

After turning Maxi over to Ben's care, Les remained behind to talk with the police. The security chief was dealing with his own guilt for waiting the extra hour before leaving for the rescue and had the sick feeling that if they'd gone immediately after receiving the note, they would have found Melinda unharmed. Yet in that time, the police had been able to send information to the other precincts noting the houses where Castelletti had sent his minions earlier.

Castelletti was arrested when he returned with the carriages. The women of the house gave brief statements to the police, all of them confirming that they'd been sold into service or taken as repayments for loans. Les suggested that they be taken to a mission run by the nuns of the Holy Cross Cathedral of the Boston Diocese, where they could receive medical assistance and a place to stay.

What amazed him as he watched the exodus was that while many of the women seemed excited and spoke of freedom, others looked lost.

After the women were gone, Les saw to it that there would be no further questions from the police.

The story he gave them was vague, but no one questioned it. With the Wadsworth name involved, no one quibbled with issues, only outcomes. He'd floated terms such as mistaken identity, unforeseen circumstances and unsolicited information. None of it really made much sense, but it gave the police words to put on their reports.

Les knew it would be a very good day for the Boston police and politicians, and that Frank would be pleased with the outcome. Still his thoughts turned toward the Cartwright family and he wondered how they would remember this day

Once he'd finished giving his statement, Les rushed to the hospital to find out how things had turned out there. He found himself wondering greatly about the beautiful Maxine. The woman had shown a great deal of courage and he wanted to find out more about her.

 **Four**

 **Things May Be Unfolding as They Should, But Try Convincing Adam of That**

After an initial examination, Adam was admitted to the hospital and taken to a private suite in a wing that had been paid for by Frank's father. There was no question as to which room he would occupy.

Adam awoke briefly as they transferred him into the bed, and he grabbed his father's arm. "I need to be with Melinda!" he whispered through the fog of pain. "Please help me, Pa. I don't want her to be alone."

Ben patted his son's shoulder as he reassured, "Her parents and Miranda are here, son. Don't worry now. You rest."

"Everyone out!" the nurse in charge commanded of the entourage as she walked into the room carrying a tray with a glass syringe. "We need to get Mr. Cartwright settled. The doctor will speak to the family in his office."

"Which is where?" Frank asked in the same tone used by the nurse.

"Take a left when you leave this room, then it's the third door on your right."

Ben's, "Thank you," went unacknowledged as the group left while nurses bustled around his son.

Frank headed toward the doctor's office while the charge nurse ran to catch up. She laid a hand on his arm and suggested, "The patient's immediate family should speak with the doctor. They can tell you what _they_ find out."

Frank gave Ben a sheepish look as he and Abel caught up. "That would be best. I'll be in the sunroom at the end of the hall when you have news."

Ben could hear Frank grumbling while he walked away, but at that moment he couldn't worry about hurting anyone's feeling. He rapped sharply on the door bearing the name Samuel Abbott Green, M.D. While waiting for an answer he looked over at Abel. The older man had arrived at the hospital with the Hayworth family just as Adam was being taken to his room and he looked shaken. "I know this is a lot to take in, Abel," Ben soothed, "but we'll know what's wrong with Adam in a minute."

After receiving a call to enter, the two men walked in to find the man of near Adam's age sitting behind the desk, paging through the sheets of a medical file. They'd seen him down in the admitting area when everyone had arrived, but he had sent everyone out as he had examined the patients. He stood to welcome them, shook Ben and Abel's hands as they introduced themselves, and then motioned for them to sit.

"Do you know what's wrong with my son, Dr. Green?" Ben asked straightaway.

"I have a pretty good idea, Mr. Cartwright, but I have a few questions. It says in the admitting notes that your son moved to Boston from Virginia City, Nevada about six months back? Did he ever live here before this?"

Ben nodded. "Yes he did. He was born in Boston, and was here about twelve years ago for college. The rest of the time he's lived in Nevada" Ben waited a moment to see if there would be a follow-up question. "Is there significance in where's he's lived to what's wrong with him now?"

The young doctor laughed gently. "No. I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Stoddard. I'm just trying to figure something out. I knew a man named Adam Cartwright when I was at Harvard. We both sang in the choir and while your son looks familiar, I wasn't certain that he was the same man. Now I know for sure."

"I see." Ben said and asked a question of his own. "I heard Frank Wadsworth ask for you downstairs. Do you know him well?"

"I know him well professionally, not personally. I got to know Frank when I was at Harvard. He was on boards at the college, and at this hospital. Medical students had to make appearances before those boards each time we finished a clinic rotation. After completing school, I worked for a few years, and then volunteered in the war effort. Frank had always been interested in my career even when I was a student, and he was aware of my service to the army. When I came back to Boston, he made sure I found a good position here. When he requested me today, he told me only enough about what happened so that I could treat the admissions, and he trusts that I'll be discreet about anything else I might discover."

Ben was again amazed at Frank's ability to control a situation, but now he just wanted to know what was wrong with his son. "So, do you have any other questions…about Adam?"

"Just one: Do you know if he ate at a seafood restaurant on Saturday?"

Abel spoke up. "Yes, he did. He met other members of a choir there to celebrate the director's birthday." Turning toward Ben, he added, "Adam suspected his illness might have been from something he ate."

"Aha!" Dr. Green exclaimed triumphantly. "That settles it. I heard you mention in admitting that Adam's state of ill health was not a result of the experience he'd just been through, and after I examined your son, I thought his condition seemed familiar. We've had several members of that choir, and other patrons from that restaurant in here since early Sunday morning, although none of them were this seriously ill. Why didn't Adam come in sooner?" He thought about the information Frank had shared with him and added, "Never mind answering that. I imagine he had other things to worry about."

Ben caught Abel's questioning look and said quietly, "I'll explain everything as soon as we're done here." Looking back at the physician, Ben inquired, "So how is eating at a restaurant making him this ill, and what are you going to do?"

"You're probably aware that seafood must be used quickly or it spoils."

Both men nodded, while Abel said, "Are you saying that Adam was served spoiled fish at that restaurant?"

"In a way, yes, although I'm sure it was not done intentionally. As some shellfish begin to age, they release a type of poison that can cause stomach upset and even more serious maladies. Cooking it can't remove that poison and unfortunately there's no indication when it's present. More experienced chefs might pick up on it in other ways, but the restaurant admitted that their regular chef was out and this was put together by someone not as knowledgeable. Whatever contained this poison was added to the chowder and the results were varied. Some of those who ate it barely got sick, while others became very ill."

Ben interjected, "Why would that be?"

Dr. Green threw his hands up as he sighed. "I'm not sure. It's probably just how much of the infected product was in the serving each person received. I'm assuming that your son was unlucky enough to get a good amount of it."

Abel's complexion had paled. "If it's a poison and he got a large dose…what does that mean? Poison would seem to be a very bad thing."

"Yes it is," the doctor agreed, "but this kind is seldom fatal. Everyone who came in with symptoms has been released. The effects ease without further complications."

Ben rose and began to pace. "You said that these other people who were poisoned are already better. Why is it different for Adam?"

Dr. Green paused and looked pointedly at each man. "Whatever was in Adam's dish was so potent that its assault was more devastating. Add into the mix that Adam continued to push himself past the point of exhaustion, and the result was that his system began to wage war on itself. I noted extreme tenderness and swelling as I palpated his abdominal area. That would indicate that his entire intestinal tract is inflamed. His oral mucosa, that's the inside of his mouth, is extremely red and friable, so I'm assuming that's pretty much what the rest of his insides looks like too. With the inflammation so widespread, any further trauma could cause a tearing of his stomach, esophagus or intestines."

Ben had stopped pacing and faced the doctor. "What kind of trauma are you talking about?"

"Put it this way, we should be thankful that there were no fistfights involved in whatever happened today. Had Adam received a jab to his gut…well I think you understand what I'm saying." Dr. Green smiled encouragingly. "But he's safe now and here's what we'll do. The treatment for this is rest. Adam still seems agitated so we're going to force his body and mind to do that. I'm going to keep him sedated with morphine."

Seeing Ben's eyes widen, Dr. Green quickly added, "That's not as awful as it sounds, Mr. Cartwright. Morphine is a good drug in this case and we're able to give it through an injection now rather than making him swallow a powder. I know you've probably heard the stories about people becoming addicted to morphine, but research suggests that it isn't addictive when using the injectable form.4 The morphine will keep him sleeping and in less pain, and it pretty much stops the intestinal tract. That's a real plus since it will give it a chance to heal. We'll discontinue the drug as soon as we can, and then introduce foods slowly to get his system going again. There should be no long-term effects from the drug or the poison if this works as I expect it to. However, Adam is very ill and only time will tell if I'm correct."

Ben hadn't known what to expect, and found that he was both relieved and concerned. "I'll trust that you know what's best for him, doctor. What I can't imagine is how Adam managed to keep going with what was happening inside him."

Dr. Green walked over to Ben and grasped his shoulder. "I've been wondering the same thing. I imagine that Adam had a lot to lose if he didn't push on, and yet most men would have succumbed to the pain soon after it started. Your son must have some special Western grit that we frailer, eastern men do not." He chuckled at his thought and then added, "I remember what else I was going to ask you. I knew a man who went into medicine a little later in life. I helped mentor him at Harvard and later he went to Virginia City. I think he got there around '61 and stayed for a couple years. His name was Thomas Pinkerton. Might you know him?"

Ben smiled as he replied, "Our family uses Paul Martin as our physician, but I did know Dr. Pinkerton while he was there. He had a medical contract with the city and was kept very busy with that. Tom was a guest at our home several times and we did a lot of reminiscing about Boston."

"It seems such a great distance from one side of this country to the other and yet it gets smaller all the time." Abel speculated. "I imagine that someday we'll be able to cross the expanse of states in a day or two instead of weeks…or months, as it did when Ben first headed out there."

"I'd be happy if the mail would just get from one side to the other efficiently." Ben grinned at Abel, "I suppose we best let Frank know what's going on before he breaks down the door. I guarantee that by this time, he's out there waiting."

Frank was standing outside Dr. Green's office when Ben and Abel stepped back into the hall. "Well?" he asked. "What's going on?"

Before they'd left the brothel for the hospital, Frank had sent a messenger to Abel and the Hayworths, and another to Marian to meet them at Massachusetts General. Marian was the last to arrive and showed up as the three men were standing in the hallway talking outside Dr. Green's office. After getting a brief update on Adam's health, she assured them that she'd stay with him and find them if he needed anything. Ben and Frank set off with Abel to find Melinda's family so they could explain to everyone what had happened during the day.

Marian found Adam tucked into the starched, white sheets sleeping soundly. She laid her hand against his cheek and kissed his forehead. The nurse who had left as Marian walked in advised her that he would be unresponsive, so she wasn't surprised when he didn't stir. The nurse had also issued a terse warning that only one person was to visit at a time, and to that end there was only one chair was in the room. Marian pulled it next to the bed and sat, gently taking Adam's hand as she leaned to his ear and whispered. "You've been through a lot again, haven't you, sweetheart? You rest now and I'll be here if you need me."

Marian watched the rhythmic rise and fall of Adam's chest and thought back to when she'd met him the first time when he was still a teenager. She had found him to be a fine young man, but had noticed that he'd often looked sad. The expression would disappear when he laughed or was participating in an activity, but she would see it return when he thought he wasn't being observed. At first she'd thought it was homesickness, but over time she'd heard snippets of information that had made her suspect that there might be much more to it than simply missing his family. She had never tried to pry more details from him, figuring it had been his story to tell or withhold.

She'd watched him grow from a rangy teen to a wonderfully handsome man back then, and was thrilled when he returned to Boston and became engaged. Now he seemed driven with purpose and appeared at ease and happy. But she wondered if this unfortunate situation would mean that the sorrow would be there again when he opened his eyes. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing that pain again.

She brought his hand to her cheek and said, "When I found out that your mother had died, I took you into my heart as my own child, Adam. I don't think I ever told you that in words, dear, but I think that you know it. You get better now or you'll have me to deal with, and I'm a lot tougher than Frank."

Adam awoke for brief intervals over the next several days. At those times he took sips of water, was tended to and questioned about his pain before being given another morphine injection to make him sleep again.

Ben remained at his son's bedside, leaving only when others forced him to. In the days since the admission, there had been times when Adam had seemed aware of others being around him, but even then he hadn't spoken other than to answer questions from the hospital staff or to nod in acknowledgement of something that had been said directly to him.

The only conversation Ben had had with him was when Adam had said, "Have Melinda's arrangements been taken care of?" as his son was drifting back into a morphine-induced sleep during his first night in the hospital. Ben had assured him that she was in good hands, and had wondered what Adam had meant when his voice had trailed off to a whisper as he'd said, "I should have known it would end this way."

Once word of Adam's hospitalization spread, others began arriving to take turns sitting with him. In fact there was usually a line of people waiting to spend time at his side, and Ben had to use his parental privilege to cut back in when he'd return after a trip to Abel's for a quick nap and change of clothing. The congestion in the hall eased when Dr. Green allowed more than one person at a time in the room. It seemed that no amount of commotion stirred Adam from his sleep, and it became the norm for a group of people to be sitting at the foot of the bed in quiet conversation while he slept.

Ben had stayed with Adam through the night from the beginning, and even though his son was now resting more easily during the day, it seemed that darkness allowed whatever demons were at work in his mind full reign, resulting in periods of extreme agitation.

Visiting hours had ended at eight, and the last of the Adam's callers had departed, leaving Ben alone with his sleeping son. The hallways had cleared and quieted as evening rounds were completed and the lamps were dimmed, settling the ward for the night. Ben tried to focus on his newspaper but his head began to bob, causing a few neck-snaps as he fought to stay awake. The war of wakefulness and sleep was finally decided when his chin remained resting on his chest; the only sound in the room being the rhythmic breathing of its two occupants.

Ben jumped, sending his paper sliding to the floor when he felt a touch on his shoulder. He blinked repeatedly to focus and saw that Frank Wadsworth was standing in front of him.

"You're exhausted, Ben. Go home and get some sleep."

Ben wasn't surprised that Frank had made it past the gauntlet of nurses to pay an after-hours visit. "I am tired, Frank, but Adam still has terrible nightmares and I don't want him to be alone if he should wake in a panic."

Frank laughed. "He won't be. I'll stay; you go. Marian mentioned during dinner that since I'm up most of the night anyway, I could stay awake here instead of at home. Made perfect sense so I gathered up some things," he pointed at the stack of papers he'd set on the table before waking Ben, "and came right over."

"I can't ask you to do this, Frank."

"You didn't ask me, Ben," Frank looked around as though he were checking for someone listening at the door, and smiled as he continued, "Marian commanded it. And when Marian gets an idea I don't talk back." Frank's sly look became serious. "Our dear Marian said you looked worn out and is worried as much for you as for Adam at this point. I don't know why I didn't think of this myself a day or so ago. Adam's recovered enough that I can fill in for you, and I really do spend most of the night up brooding about business matters." Frank waited as Ben thought through his offer, and then added. "You know that I think of Adam as a son, Ben, so I won't let anything happen to him."

Ben looked directly at Frank. "I know you think highly of Adam, and I appreciate all you've done for him."

"Done for _him_?" Frank pulled up chair and sat. "I think I need to tell you a few things. Adam has done far more for me than I can ever give back."

Puzzlement turned the corner of Ben's mouth into a frown. "I don't know what you mean, Frank. Adam enjoyed spending time with your family. He said that being at your place reminded him of home, without the dust, and cattle bawling in the distance." Ben chuckled with that remembrance. "But he never mentioned doing anything out of the ordinary _for_ your family."

Frank steepled his fingers in front of his face as he considered how to tell his story. "You remember Professor Metz, don't you?"

"Of course. He tutored Adam in Nevada and took him to Boston after completing those botanical studies out West. What does Adolph have to do with you staying with Adam tonight?"**

"I was one of the people who funded that endeavor for the university and was invited to a party when Adolph returned. During that evening, he kept talking about a family he'd met on his trip, and said that he'd brought the eldest son back with him. Adolph told us how he had met this boy, Adam out in the field one day and how the young man had asked him for help once he realized the older man's credentials. Adam had spoken of his dream to attend college back East but he had also realized that he didn't have the education needed to pass the admissions tests. Adolph said he had taken Adam on as his student and he had worked hard and learned amazingly fast. In fact the boy was prepared to sit for entrance exams when they arrived here. But Adolph's stories didn't stop there. He went on about Adam's bravery, the price he'd paid for it, and of his devotion to his family. When I found out that this young man had been accepted into the same class at Harvard as my son, I contacted the college and 'asked' that Adam Cartwright be paired with Frankie in the dorms. I hadn't met Adam before making that request, and yet it had struck me solidly that my son would do well with him as a roommate."

Frank took a moment to let Ben fully understand that Adam's pairing with Frankie had not been random. "After school started, Frankie came home talking nonstop about this kid he shared his room with and we encouraged him to bring Adam home. Once I met Adam, I began to understand what all the fuss was about. We're not the bluebloods we're accused of being, and while Adam was raised in a different part of the country and under different circumstances, I could see that he was imbued with the same standards and values that we have. It was his quiet determination and kind nature that impressed both Marian and me, and over the next five years Adam became one of our own."

"Adam wrote me about Frankie," Ben offered. "I think they took to each other from the moment they met, and I'm most grateful that you pulled a few strings. Adam was fortunate to have your family around him."

"There's more to this, Ben," Frank sighed. "My Frankie is smart enough, but he always took the easy way if he could. He used his intelligence, but also his good looks, guile and likable personality to get through preparatory school. He was dumfounded when those traits didn't work on the professors at Harvard. As you know, Frankie is running the company in San Francisco, and I will say he's doing a fine job. I always assumed that his talents rested in management and I was right. Those other "skills" I mentioned make him very successful in securing projects and wooing those in charge. Yet I wanted him to train as an engineer so he'd know the business from the ground up. I never had such training and while I've picked up a sense of that part of our business, I still have to rely on the word of my employees that they're doing it correctly."

Ben nodded, "I know the feeling, Frank. It's hard to have to learn how to do something when you need to already know how to do it. I've often felt like I'm a step behind before I ever get started."

"That's it exactly!" Frank slapped his knee. "I hoped that Frankie would have an easier time than I've had if he'd know the basics, but I began to wonder if it was such a grand idea when he started to pull failing grades in his first semester of the engineering program. Adam saw what was happening too and stepped in." Frank looked up at Ben, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "Your son taught mine how to study. He tutored him and kept him focused, and he did it in such a way that Frankie didn't become frustrated or think he was missing out on the fun parts of college life. In time my son became a decent student. He wasn't at the top of the class like Adam, but he made it through and truly understands the principles he works with every day. I know in my heart that Frankie wouldn't be the man he is today if it weren't for Adam. The truth is that having your son in town again feels like one of our own children has come home."

A deep breath puffed Ben's chest. "It would be like Adam to notice that Frankie was having trouble. His brothers appreciated his guiding hand as well, although they probably thought he was just being bossy at the time. I'll admit that there were some very tough years as we got the Ponderosa going, and Adam was always there, willing to do whatever needed doing. He usually knew that I was having trouble even before I did. I miss him greatly, but I can see that he has a good life here."

"After Frankie visited your spread, he wrote that it was 'nice' but I assume he told me that so I wouldn't be jealous." Both men chuckled as Ben admitted that Adam had said much the same about the Wadsworth estate. "I'd like to see your place one day, Ben. I often wonder what it's like to really build something. I'm more the caretaker of our place. I've built the business into a powerhouse, but the rest was a gift. So I envy what you've done. If Adam was there every step of the way, I can see why he's the man he is."

Silence ensued as both men thought about their legacies. Ben finally yawned and stretched. "I think I'll take you up on your offer, Frank. I won't be good to anyone if I don't get a good night's sleep."

"I concur. Before you leave, I'll tell you quickly why I hired Les 15 years ago. This is something that even Adam doesn't know…"

Dr. Green greeted a well-rested Ben as he returned in the morning and took him to his office to review Adam's progress. "We've reduced the morphine to the point where we can now eliminate it, Mr. Cartwright, so there will be no further injections unless Adam's pain level increases again. He's been tolerating broth, so we'll begin adding soft foods to his diet."

"If the morphine has been reduced, then why is Adam still sleeping so much?" Ben said with a concerned scowl. "I assumed he would be more alert when he wasn't being medicated, but he barely..." His voice trailed off and he ended with a sigh. "I guess I thought that he'd be more active or at least talking to us."

Dr. Green smiled. "What you're seeing is normal, Mr. Cartwright. We're not _making_ him sleep any longer, but his body is still healing and that requires rest. He has been through a lot, but I can assure that he's going to be fine. He'll perk up more quickly now that he's eating again and the nurses will be getting him up at intervals. We might have to push him a little so he doesn't get too comfortable." The doctor laughed as he suggested. "I don't think he can say no to you, so why don't you get him up and moving as well. A walk with you now and then would be good for him."

"Could we move him to his grandfather's house?" Ben asked hopefully. "I think people always do better when they get back to their own bed and surroundings."

"You're probably right about that, and I know you're anxious. Give us a day and if all goes well, I'll kick him out of here."

The doctor's words buoyed Ben's spirits and he was humming as he met Marian Wadsworth coming out of Adam's door. She smiled as she extended her hand in greeting. "You look happy, Ben. I came by to bring breakfast to Frank before he headed for the office. Did I see you coming out of Dr. Green's office?"

"You did. He said that Adam seems to be doing quite well now." Ben voice held a note of uncertainty as he asked, "How does he look to you, Marian?"

She led Ben away from the door to speak privately. " _Seems_ is a good word, Ben," she said as a frown replaced her smile. "Adam seems better. He's awake, and even ate when the nurse forced him. But he's not acting like the man I know. He acknowledged that I was there and told me that there was no reason to stay, and then stared resolutely at the ceiling while saying nothing more. I wouldn't say that he was being rude. It's more like he doesn't have the will to participate." She saw Ben's grimace. "I'm so sorry. I've turned your good news into questions."

Ben patted her hand. "Don't feel badly, Marian, I've noticed the same things you've described."

"I know that Adam is very hard on himself." Marian hesitated before continuing, "I remember finding that out when he first started coming to the house with Frankie. They were freshmen then and I asked him how he was doing with his classes. Adam confided that he was doing fine except that he was upset over the loss of six points on his first history essay."

Ben chuckled. "That sounds like Adam."

"It truly bothered him, and since there were no detailed remarks on the paper, he made an appointment and asked the professor to explain where he had 'failed to fulfill the requirements of the assignment.'"

"What did he find out?"

Marian shook her head as she grinned. "Ben, I still remember that day so well. Adam stared at me in complete bafflement as he explained that the professor had said there was nothing wrong with the paper. It was just that he never gave perfect grades because there was always room to improve. Then your son asked me how he could possibly improve if he wasn't given _logical_ criticism."

"Now that really sounds like Adam." Ben laughed as he asked, "What did you tell him, Marian?"

"I told him that we can't control what others might feel about what we say or do, and that all he could do was to keep trying. I soon began to understand that Adam was tougher on himself, and held himself to higher standards than anyone else ever would." She sighed as her frown returned. "I don't know what his thoughts are about what happened last week, but I'm afraid it's tormenting him. He couldn't control what happened to Melinda but he'll presume that there was more he could have done. He'll blame himself and see this as his failure even while having handled it as perfectly as he could have." She looked deeply into Ben's eyes, voicing her concern. "Help him, Ben."

"I will try." He took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "Thank you for taking such good care of my son…years ago…and now."

After bidding Marian goodbye, Ben stuck his head in the room, and seeing that Adam was sleeping, decided to see if William and Margaret Hayworth were visiting on the women's wing as they did each morning. He'd met them on the day they'd arrived at the hospital with Abel, and he had been impressed with both of them. Adam had implied that Margaret was hard to tolerate, but Ben had found her to be interested, attentive and caring. She'd been extremely cordial to him and kind to Maxine after finding out how much she'd assisted her daughter. It left Ben wondering if Adam might have gotten off on the wrong foot with her.

Maxine was in her room, and told him that the Hayworths had been there already, but had gone for coffee. Returning to Adam's room, Ben got comfortable in a chair near the window to read the newspaper he'd abandoned the night before. After scanning a few articles, he lowered the paper enough to observe his son. Something wasn't right, and a sly smile crept over the father's face as he figured it out.

"Open your eyes, Adam. I know you're awake. I can tell by the way you're breathing. You haven't pulled this ruse since you were a kid and didn't want to do your chores early in the morning."

Adam chuckled humorlessly as he opened his eyes. "Sorry, Pa. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I don't feel like being sociable either. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you…and you?"

"I don't care how I am."

Ben was at his son's side in three strides, and spoke strongly. "What is that supposed to mean? How can you not care? If God grants your health, then you should be singing praises, not lying there playing possum." His voice dropped into a softer tone. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted."

Adam turned away. "I don't blame you for shouting. I've been yelling at myself over the same thoughts, but it doesn't make any difference. I still wish I had died."

"Why would you say that?"

He directed a wounded look at his father. "Oh, please, Pa, don't tell me that you haven't felt like this a few times in your life! I know you profess the philosophy of getting back up when life knocks you down, but remember that I was with you when Inger and Marie died in your arms…and the months that followed. I know how you struggled each time something precious was taken from you. I've not only lived through all your sorrows, now I get to add in my own personal hell!"

Adam calmed himself with a few deep breaths and added, "The women who love me die, Pa. My mother died just to bring me into this world. Then there was Inger and Marie…and now when I finally re-found the woman who would love me forever…well...it would have better if I'd died too." He raised his forearms to the sides of his head and pressed tightly. "Please, just leave me alone for a while, Pa. I can't talk about this now!"

Ben tipped his head as the right side of his face rose in a puzzled grimace. What the boy had said made sense to a point, but he felt as he had a few minutes ago: something was amiss. Instead of leaving, Ben sat on the bed and thought about what needed to be said. Like son—like father. Ben didn't like speaking of feelings, but knew he had to do this.

"You've heard a lot of wonderful stories about your mother, Adam. But I never spoke much about her death. And since it came at such a hard time in Abel's life, I doubt that he's said much about it either. The day you were born was the happiest day of her life. It wasn't her choice to leave you, but she wouldn't have changed a thing even if she had known how it would end. And you're right, I wondered why I couldn't die in her stead, but I couldn't. In the end, I came to realize that your mother didn't really die that day, Adam. She lives on in you."

Adam remained silent, but the clench in his jaw and fists eased.

"There's something I need to know." Ben saw Adam's guarded look but continued anyway, "What's the last thing you remember about the day we found Melinda?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"Answer me. It's important."

Adam's eyes flashed again. "I found her dead! Is that what you want to hear, Pa?" Adam had pulled himself to a sitting position and faced his father at eye level. "I found her too late. She was shot, and bled to death in a cold, filthy cellar while I spent time _planning_ her rescue." Spent by the outburst, he fell back to the pillow. "Every time I close my eyes I see her lying there covered in blood. I dream of her calling to me, but something is always holding me back and I can't get to her no matter how hard I try. But it's worse when I keep my eyes open."

Ben stood and commanded, "C'mon. Dr. Green said you should go for a walk. Where I want to go is too far to make on your own power just yet, so if you walk to the hall, we'll find a wheelchair to get you the rest of the way."

"No," Adam replied sullenly.

"You know better than to talk back to me."

Ben disappeared and returned with a wheelchair that he left outside Adam's room. He found the robe that Abel had brought from home, made Adam put it on and bent down to slide slippers on his feet. "There. Now stand up."

He was wobbly at first but his equilibrium returned as he stood longer. "I don't want to do this, Pa."

"Be quiet and walk." The two made it to the chair and Adam collapsed into it. "I didn't ever think I'd be in one of these things again," he snarled. "I burned the one back home, didn't I?"

"You wanted to, but I gave it to Old Man Harper. And as much as we dislike things, sometimes they're necessary. This is one of them." Ben began to grin as he pushed his son toward the women's ward.

"You seem almost giddy," Adam spoke over his shoulder. "Does humiliating me give you a sense of elation?"

"Of course not. We're just going to visit some people on this ward."

"Is this the Ben Cartwright, pull yourself up by your bootstraps lesson? You're going to show me someone in worse condition than I am so I won't be able to feel sorry for myself?"

"Don't sound so sarcastic, son. There's much to be said for my philosophies."

They arrived at Maxine's room. "Where's your roommate, Maxi?" Ben asked.

The young woman laughed. "She's where she usually is all morning, upstairs reading to the children." Maxi realized who was in the wheelchair and chirped, "Adam. It's so good to see you! Do you remember me?"

"Of course. Thank you for helping us." He forced himself to smile. "How are you feeling? As I remember you were grazed by a bullet?"

Maxi pulled her hair back to reveal the healing area on her temple. "It stung like crazy and I couldn't stand without falling over from dizziness at first, but I'm fine now. I'm leaving the hospital as soon as Miranda gets here."

"That's good." Adam smiled again, but his lips sank quickly to a scowl. Turning to his father, he suggested sourly, "We should go back to my room. Maxine probably needs to get ready."

"I hope I'll see you again before I head back home, Maxine. Take care of yourself." Ben shook Maxi's hand before turning Adam's chair and heading out of the room.

Once in the hall, Adam hissed at his father. "Please hurry, Pa. I don't want to be around if Miranda comes through. I'm not sure why Maxi is waiting for her, but I'm not up to speaking to any of the Hayworth's just yet."

Ben retraced their route back down the hall until he came to the elevator. The hospital had received one of the first vertical conveyances from the Wadsworth Foundation. Ben pushed the chair into the car, and even though Adam had grumbled about the detour from his room, he watched with an engineer's fascination as the operator adjusted the mechanisms that took them upwards. Once on the second floor, Ben headed toward the sunroom, stopping just short of the entrance.

Adam's eyes widened as he heard a familiar voice reading from _The Princess and the Pea_. He turned to look at his father. "What's going on?" he whispered as he leaned forward and finally stood to see into the room. "Is it really her? I thought…"

Ben pulled Adam into a nearby empty ward to speak privately. "I didn't realize until this morning that you hadn't heard what I was yelling at you that day. You must have passed out. We had just discovered Melinda wasn't dead. That gunshot hit the fleshy part of her upper arm, and although it bled a lot, it did little damage. The doctor said that she was knocked out when she fell down the steps and it was the blow to her head and the cold cellar that nearly killed her and made her breathe so shallowly that we had a hard time noting it. By the time we arrived at the hospital Melinda was awake and more concerned about you than herself."

Adam was silent.

"What's wrong with you, son? You should be dancing, and there you sit, still looking like there was a death in the family."

"There was," he said as he breathed more rapidly. "Do you suppose that Melinda will ever look at me the same again? Do you think she'll trust me? She'll say that everything is fine, but the doubt will begin to eat away at her and she'll come to realize that…I don't deserve her. I failed her, Pa."

Ben laughed as he spoke a quiet, "Bravo! You should have been an actor, Adam. That was splendidly done!" He became more serious to add, "Only a fool would believe that Melinda's feelings would change over this. What happened was not your fault and you did the best anyone could. We found her, Adam. That never would have happened if you had failed. You've never been a fool before, so don't start now."

The look was scathing. "I may have been overly dramatic, but it won't be the same. She hasn't even come to see me, so her doubt has already begun to show up. In fact, I doubt anyone but you and Abel cared whether I lived or died."

Ben laughed again. "You've been sleeping a lot, Adam. Melinda had to be shooed back to her room every day to make sure she got enough rest. I'm also betting that you don't know who all has been visiting you the last several days. There's me and Abel, Marian and Frank, William and Margaret, Sadie, people from your office, and several members of a choir who kept asking the doctor to perform a little surgery while you were asleep to ensure that you can sing the high tenor notes in some performance that's coming up. So you're right; no one cares about you, least of all Melinda."

"So? A few people came to pay their respects."

"Relax Adam. I won't hound you about this, but take a deep breath and think things through a little better before you make any further conclusions. You'll figure it out in time, but let's let Melinda know that you're here. It's high-time for a reunion."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?"

"Not yet, Pa. Not while I'm sitting in this chair."

The two men quieted as they heard voices nearing the room they were in. Melinda and her mother walked past, hand in hand.

Adam grabbed at his father's arm as he tried to step toward the door, and whispered, "Please, Pa. Not like this."

Ben saw his son's anguish and thought back to Adam sitting in a wheelchair once before. Instead of leaving the room, he pulled a chair next to his son. They would need to stay put to give Melinda and Margaret time to leave the floor before they could head back to Adam's room, and Ben decided to use it wisely.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Adam commented softly. "With that robe and sling, she looks like a Greek goddess." He listened as he heard laughter and the person with Melinda say, " _You are so good with children, dear. I hope you and Adam have a house full of them someday_ ," prompting Adam to ask of Ben, "Was that Margaret with her?"

"Yes it was. She's very nice and has been concerned for you."

Adam sent his father a questioning look. "Are we talking about the same woman? Margaret would hardly be concerned for me. I'd suspect more that she'd be rooting for me to leave this earth so that Melinda would be free to marry someone more…suitable."

Ben chuckled. "I think a lot has happened, son. We have a time before we can make a graceful exit, so let me tell you about some of it." He spent the next several minutes telling Adam about the arrest of Luis Castelletti and the raids on the gambling houses and brothels he owned. "The police shut down all of them in a few hours."

"That's impressive. Les must have done much in that hour after we got the note."

"That's true, but he's not the only one who can get things done in a hurry." Ben recounted the story of Abel's swift dispatching of Grifasi and Lloyd.

"Grandfather is a force to be reckoned with," Adam replied in admiration. "Did Miranda forgive Lloyd?"

"She's still thinking about it. She spoke to him before he left, but wouldn't sail with him. In the meantime, William and Margaret are going to move in with her and help pay the mortgage. As I understand, Maxine is going to stay there too until she feels able to go it alone."

Adam's eyes shot open. "And Margaret isn't having a fit about that? I'm surprised she isn't worried about what the neighbors will say."

"I'm not sure what Margaret was like before, but William did tell me that she had a 'discussion' with Abel about her behavior and has made some adjustments. It was her idea for Maxine to move in."

"I guess I have missed a lot! I would have liked to see Abel take her on, but all that matters is that it helped. What else did I miss?"

"Hmm. The police took women from several brothels to a mission run by nuns. Miranda, Margaret, Melinda and Maxine have been making plans for them."

"What kind of plans?"

"Melinda started teaching Maxine how to use a reading program so she can try using it with those women as soon as she's out of here. Maxine is hopeful that if they learn to read and write, they'll stay away from the type of work they've been doing. She says that most of the women were forced into those jobs, but that it's hard for them to live differently. They don't think much of themselves and are afraid to meet others who might find out what they once did."

"Sounds reasonable. There's something about Maxine. You just know she's capable."

"Melinda will help out more once she's out of the hospital and you two are married." Ben waited to see if Adam would respond to the part about the wedding. When he remained silent, Ben went on, "Here's the part that I think will surprise you. Margaret and Miranda have already made arrangements with the mission to work there with the women. Miranda is teaching them how to prepare food so they might find work as cooks with families or in cafes, and Margaret wants to help them with other things. She's talked to Marian about asking her friends to donate nice used clothing and have people come to show them stylish ways to fix their hair and teach social etiquette. It's amazing what those women have accomplished."

Adam grinned. "Nothing rallies women more than a good cause."

Ben agreed and changed the subject. "Do you remember your doctor? He says he knew you back at school."

Adam nodded and said dryly, "I recognized him right away, but we didn't really know each other back then, other than as members of the choir, and we haven't talked about the past. He's usually ordering me to do something."

"He knows Frank too. Frank asked for Dr. Green when you were brought here."

"Well, that makes sense. I asked him why he was giving me such personal attention after he'd come in several times yesterday. He said he had his 'reasons.' Now I know what he meant."

"Did he explain why you were so ill?"

"Some sort of poison in the chowder. He says the worst is over now, but that I'll feel like a rag doll for a few days until my strength returns."

Ben smiled wryly at his son. "It's good to hear you talk about the future. Are you feeling better about still being around?"

"It seems that I'll recover. I won't do anything to impede that."

"Let me ask you something. Do you love Melinda, Adam?"

"Of course I do!" he snapped. "If anything, I love her more than before. The way she handled herself; that note she wrote to help us find her; trying to get free…I always thought she was strong, and now I realize that she's an even stronger woman than I gave her credit for being. She's…inspiring, Pa."

"So, what's the problem?"

"The problem…is that I'm not. Margaret recognized that when we were at Miranda's for dinner. She might be harsh in the way she says things, but she saw what I was and said that Melinda wouldn't be happy with me."

Ben rose, returned the chair to its original spot and moved behind the wheelchair, laying his hands on Adam's shoulders. "I think inspiring is a pretty good adjective for you as well. You have always done what was right and made believers out of those who might doubt you. Sometimes it worked out perfectly, but more often you had to face that things didn't line up as you would have hoped. It takes time to figure out why that happens, but you always do. What makes this harder to sort out is that it involved danger to the woman you love instead of you. But you'll figure this out too, if you allow yourself to do so." Ben sighed deeply. "I wish Hoss was here. He always seemed to help you put things in perspective."

"He did. Hoss has a way of seeing what others can't."

The pair made their way to the elevator in silence. As they waited, Adam turned to his father, "I've been thinking, Pa. With Abel doing so well now, maybe it's time I head home."

The comment surprised Ben and he had to control his urge to encourage something that he might want more than what would be best for his son. "You're always welcome to return, but do it for the right reasons, Adam. The Ponderosa is a refuge, but you can't hide there. You tried that after your fall and it didn't work. You made the right decision to leave, and look at how far you've come in six months. You have a good job, good friends and a woman who wants to marry you here in Boston. Come home if you want to...just don't run away from what's bothering you here."

 **Five**

 **A Hoss Named Margaret**

An angry looking nurse met Ben as he wheeled Adam back into his room. "It's about time you two showed up," she barked as her foot tapped, making the glass syringe vibrate on the porcelain tray she carried it in. "Dr. Green said Mr. Cartwright could go for a walk…not an excursion."

Ben's reply was sheepish even as he held his grin at bay. "I'm sorry. We were delayed in returning."

She set her tray on the table next to the bed, bent forward and grabbed Adam under his arm, hoisting him to a standing position in one strong, fluid movement. "You must be exhausted," she tsked as she swung him around to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled his robe from his shoulders. "I asked the doctor to order a small dose of morphine to make you rest for a bit. I suspect you're in some pain by this time."

Adam hadn't realized how much pain he was in until the nurse mentioned it. His head was pounding and his gut had that old branding-iron feeling again. "I am," he said softly as he curled under the fresh sheets. He managed to mutter, "Ouch," as the needle slid into his shoulder, and was soon drifting away to a place where he didn't have to think about failure, going home, or loving a woman he was overjoyed to find was alive, but couldn't face.

Melinda flew into the room a few minutes later, but stopped abruptly when she saw Adam sound asleep again. "I came as soon as I could," she told Ben with a deep sigh. "Maxi told me that you two had been up to visit, but I waited until she left. She's on her way to Miranda's house now."

Ben explained. "I had him out too long. He was exhausted and in pain by the time we returned. I managed to fill him in on some of what he's missed, though."

"What did he think? Was he excited to hear about how everything worked out?"

"I didn't tell him your side of the story, but he said that you're a wonder and feels horribly about you being hurt." Ben thought about how much he should share. "Do you remember hearing that we thought that you were…um, weren't alive when we first found you?"

"Of course, Mr. Cartwright. The only thing I remember about that root cellar was that I was cold and my head hurt so badly that I didn't want to move, even when I heard Adam's voice telling me that everything was fine. I thought it was another dream like those I'd had during the night and was afraid to open my eyes and find myself alone in that room again. But as I felt the warmth of his hand and his breath, I took a chance and forced myself to wake up." She shook off the remembrance. "Why do you ask?"

"I thought Adam heard me saying that you were still alive, but he didn't. I found out this morning that he's been struggling through this illness, thinking that you were gone."

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed as her hands flew to her face. "He knows better now."

Ben nodded.

"He didn't know that I was here with him?"

"He wasn't aware of anyone being here. That medicine they're giving him is pretty potent."

"He must be so relieved to know the truth."

Ben drew her close. "He's very glad about that." He paused as he lifted her chin to see her face. "It's what he feels about himself that's a little mixed up."

She pulled away looking confused. "What does that mean?"

"I'm quite sure he thinks that the only successful conclusion to your kidnapping would have been for him to have found you before anything bad happened. Because it didn't happen that way, he feels that he failed you completely. You and I know that's not so, but it seems very true to him."

"What should I do to help?"

"Just be here for him, Melinda. He'll figure things out. His brothers called him a granite-headed Yankee, and they knew what they were talking about. However, under that solid rock he is a logical man and reason will eventually prevail."

Margaret sat by the window, using the midday sun to work on a complicated needlepoint project. Adam's room had been crowded when she and her husband had stopped to visit. Abel had arrived about that time as they had, and Ben had given them all an update on Adam's improving health. Since the patient was still sleeping she'd sent Ben, Abel and William out for lunch, and persuaded Melinda to go back to her room to rest. Margaret had been working for over an hour as Adam slept making her wonder if Ben might have misunderstood the doctor's assessment.

Melinda stuck her head in the door and smiled as she saw Margaret stitching. Noting that Adam was still asleep, she made her way to her mother and whispered, "I have great news. Dr. Green came by and said I can go home today. I hate the thought of leaving before Adam can, but I do want to get out of here."

"That's wonderful news, dear." Margaret replied as she set her work aside and took her daughter's hand. "You'll rest better at home and I'll stay with you until you're completely recovered. We can come back and visit Adam until he's released. Her brow wrinkled as she asked. "Has Adam ever been awake when you've been with him?"

"No." Melinda frowned as she looked back at the bed. "Whenever I've been here he's been asleep and as soon as he'd begin to rouse, the nurses would send me out so they could take care of him. By the time they'd let me back in, he'd be asleep again." She frowned. "And then I missed him when he and his father came by to see me earlier today."

"That's what I thought, dear." Margaret stood and gathered her etui and canvas. "The others haven't returned from lunch yet, and Adam's been sleeping for a while already, so it shouldn't hurt to wake him up." She smiled at her daughter. "I think you two have a lot of catching up to do. I'll stay outside the door and divert any visitors."

She waited until her mother exited before going to the bedside and kissing Adam gently on the lips. His eyes fluttered open as a smile formed at the corners of his mouth. "Hello, sleepyhead," she said softly, "I've always known that a handsome prince can wake a sleeping princess with a kiss, but have often wondered if it would work the other way around."

He reached to touch her face. "I doubt that I qualify as a handsome prince, but I do appreciate your research in the matter."

"Hmm. You are a bit dark-haired and manly to be one of those delicate princes in the fairytales. Maybe we can forget that we aren't royalty and skip to the part of the story where we live happily ever after."

Adam's smile turned to a scowl as he looked away. "I wish I could offer you that kind of life, Melinda, but I can't. I dropped the word happy from my vocabulary a long time ago."

Melinda's eyes widened in surprise. "I…I thought we were happy. I thought you loved me and you were happy that we were together. I thought…" She sat on the edge of the bed looking stunned. "Are you telling me that I don't make you happy?"

He sat up and pulled her to him. "In these last six months, I felt what I thought was happiness for the first time in so long. I allowed myself to think that I'd outrun the things that kept me from feeling that way and lowered my guard. And then this happened and reminded me that darkness is always hovering nearby."

"I don't understand, Adam. Undoubtedly this was a dark event, but we made it through pretty much in one piece. Isn't that what life is about? Maybe we need to redefine what the word happy means for us. It isn't going to mean life without struggle, but rather knowing that we are capable of learning from every opportunity, and coming out stronger for each experience. I'm angry about what Lloyd did to us. I still have to fully forgive him for putting us in danger, but I'm thinking this was a test for us."

Adam looked away again. "You're right about that. It was a test you passed and I failed. You may not see it that way now, but what about in a while from now when you think it through. Will you be _happy_ then? I repeat what I said the other day: I'm sorry that I'm not the man you hoped I'd be."

She rose from the bed and glared at him. "I know that you've been very ill and haven't had a chance to think this through. I also heard that you didn't know I was alive until today and that must have caused some awful thoughts to play in your mind. But I don't want your apologies for failing because you didn't." Melinda paced to the window and back. "Remember how I told you that I'd never considered that you might have been in danger or could have died while we were apart? I also told you that I was thankful that something inside of you kept fighting to stay alive."

Her path was retraced, ending at his side again. "I had no idea how you found the strength to get through all that must have happened to you, and my fear was that someday you'd be disappointed that I'm not as strong as you are. But then this happened and I found out that I'm stronger than I thought—but only because of one thing. Throughout those hours, I kept asking myself what you would do if facing the same struggle. You once told me that a Cartwright doesn't give up. I used your strength to bolster mine, Adam. I drew my courage from you. But I also found out that being courageous is hard, and I don't want to make it through something like this alone. I want to be strong with you, not apart from you."

He took her hand and kissed it. "I'm sure that everything you said makes perfect sense, Melinda, but right now my mind is foggy and not a lot makes sense to me. Please bear with me and give me a little time to sort things through."

"How much time?"

"I don't know. My father seems to think I should be elated that things turned out the way they did, and you make great points about the positive parts of this experience. But right now I honestly don't know how I feel about…anything. I don't even know what day it is."

"It's Monday, Adam. A week since this all started." Melinda's voice was terse and filled with pain. "When you say you don't know how you feel about anything, does that mean us too?" Her tone was rising as her words came faster. "We're supposed to married in five days. Are you saying you need more time than that?"

He sighed. "I don't mean to upset you, but I can't give you an exact time frame. Please don't make this harder than it already is. I'll figure it out, but not if there's deadlines or I feel that I'm failing you more by asking for a little patience to get my head working again."

Melinda's mouth hung slack while her eyes widened as she listened. When she could finally speak, she said, "I've heard that morphine has side effects. Maybe that's why you feel foggy. Yet I don't see how that could make you feel differently about me and you. That should be firmly settled in your mind and heart by this time. You are all I want or need and you told me that was true for you as well. I'll be under the pine tree in Abel's yard on Saturday. I'll give you until then to figure things out. If you love me and can navigate past the doubts or whatever is bothering you right now, I'll see you there. If you can't, I guess I'll be standing there alone."

He tried to speak, but his words were cut short as a perky young nurse entered the room carrying a tray.

"I saw that you were up, Mr. Cartwright. Dr. Green wanted you to eat as soon as you awoke."

Adam ignored her, speaking to Melinda. "Please stay a little longer."

"I have to go." She smiled reticently as she pulled her hand free of his grasp.

"Why?"

"Don't you need time to think?" she replied in a voice laden with sarcasm. Her face and voice softened as she continued, "and I've been released from the hospital so I have to get ready to leave. Mother will stay with me for a bit. A week ago that would have put me in a cold sweat, but something has changed about my mother and I enjoy having her around. We've spoken more this week than in many years." Her lip trembled as she concluded, "I have gained so much recently. I met Maxine and made a friend in the worst of circumstances, I helped close down an ugly place that enslaved women, my sister has become my ally in doing something for those who need so much, and I've found my mother again. Yet...I'm left with the uneasiness that I might lose the one thing I need more than anything else." Melinda stopped at the door and turned back. "Adam, please figure this out."

He ran his hands through his hair as he released his breath in a loud hiss. _Why doesn't anything make sense?_ _Why couldn't I tell Melinda that I love her?_ He'd sat there like a stone, unable to fathom what to do. This wasn't the first time he'd felt this way. His mind drifted back to the lost feeling he'd had after he'd shot Ross Marquette when his friend had turned into a maniacal stranger. That time he thought he'd failed both Ross and Delphine because he couldn't figure out what was happening soon enough to save either of them. What was different then was that Hoss had helped him sort it out. There was no Hoss this time.

Adam looked down at the tray of food in front of him with irritation. He picked up the bowl filled with some unidentifiable white goo, threw it across the room, and watched as the shattered porcelain stuck to the wall with the strength of the pasty cereal.

Margaret had been holding sentry duty outside Adam's room, and couldn't help overhearing parts of the conversation between the young couple. She tried to stop her daughter as she left Adam's room, but Melinda walked past, saying that she didn't want to talk right then and asked to be left alone while she prepared to leave.

Having nothing to do while she waited, Margaret had just made up her mind to take a walk when she heard a loud crash from Adam's room. "What happened? Are you all right?" she asked as she ran inside and made a visual sweep of the room. She couldn't help laughing when she spotted the mess that was slowly sliding down the wall, and inquired, "Now how did that get there?"

Adam laughed too. It felt so good that he continued to laugh as he raised his hand and avowed, "I swear, it slipped out of my hand…with some velocity."

Margaret looked over the other gray and brown liquids still on the tray and teased, "Maybe the rest of this should 'slip' out of your hand as well. You know, Adam, I'm thinking you have far better taste in food than I gave you credit for at Miranda's dinner."

Her comments made Adam laugh harder until he had to stop to catch his breath. "Thanks for that, Margaret. I think laughing has been the best medicine I've had so far." He chuckled again as he told her to sniff the contents of the other dishes on the tray.

After doing as he suggested she roared again. Wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, she asked, "How do they expect you to get better by feeding you paste and things that smell like cigar ashes and dirty water?"

"That's a great question, Margaret. I think you're just the one to put it to the kitchen staff."

She pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen onto Adam's forehead as he'd laughed. "I'm so relieved to see that you're doing better."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that." He was suddenly serious. "You didn't seem to have a very good opinion of me the last time we were together."

Margaret smiled gently. "Between your grandfather and my husband, I had to face that I'd become a very nasty woman. It was hard to admit that they were right, but they were, and I don't want to be that way. I still have 'moments' when I can skin a cat with my words, but I am working to re-find the person I once was."

Adam returned a half-smile. "I've already heard some positive reports. Good for you, Margaret."

"I need to apologize for my ugliness at Miranda's. You didn't deserve that. Melinda may have waited a long time for you, but she was right. You were worth waiting for."

He flinched. "Are you sure of that? I nearly let her die."

Margaret closed the door to a crack, moved a chair next to Adam and took his hand as she began to speak. "I know I'm probably the last person in the world you want to take advice from, but I think we're two of a kind in some respects."

His eyes narrowed. "How so?"

"First of all, I heard some of what was said between you and Melinda—and I apologize for listening. But that helps me understand what's happening a little better. I think when you…and I…feel guilty that we've 'failed' someone, we push them away. I started to do that to Melinda many years ago when I thought I had nothing to offer her. She was so intelligent and sure of herself that I assumed I didn't measure up to her standards. I felt so much guilt at not being the kind of mother she could admire that I pushed her away instead of talking to her about how I felt. My guilt and heartache grew unabated while I turned into the harpy you got to know. The worst part, as I have found out, is that all my guilt was based on false conjecture."

Adam's look was admiring. "Seems like you've done some careful thinking about this."

"Melinda and I have talked a great deal since she was brought to the hospital. I told her what had been bothering me and we came to understand how both of our actions contributed to what had been going on. She admitted that she can be very…very…"

"Stubborn?" Adam suggested.

"That fits nicely. I think you know my daughter well," she chuckled. "It was such a relief to hear Melinda agree that our estrangement wasn't all my doing. It turns out that she had also made assumptions instead of talking to me. I can finally breathe again without that nagging hurt in my heart. During this week I also did a lot of listening instead of talking, and have come to a few other conclusions."

Adam's, "You have?" sounded doubtful.

"Yes I have. Don't look so nervous, you may actually see some value in what I have to say." She patted his arm. "Melinda told me that something happened recently that gave her reason to think that she might not deserve you. She gave no details but said that you had fought harder to make it back to her while all she did was wait. But the kidnapping has proved to her that she _is_ strong and can face adversity. On the other hand, I don't think that you ever saw her as lacking anything, and now that she's demonstrated how much strength she has, you're beginning to think you don't deserve her! Is that about right?"

He mumbled, "Something like that."

"Maybe, like me, you're afraid that Melinda was disappointed because you weren't there when you feel she needed you most. In some odd way, you think you're doing her a favor by pushing her away so she won't have to come to that conclusion on her own later. Shall I continue?"

"Perhaps you should." His smile was wry. "I'm not sure I'm going to like hearing what more you have to say, but you're doing pretty well so far."

"I think that right now, each of you sees only your own role in what happened. It leaves _you_ discouraged and Melinda can't understand that because she's so excited. As I see it, Lloyd and those thugs who took my daughter are the only ones who did anything wrong in any of this. I doubt that this was just about Melinda being kidnapped and you finding her either. It was about something wonderful happening from something ugly. In a way, I think God used very capable people in some horrible circumstances to do remarkable things."

Adam gave her a sidelong look. "Now you've lost me. To be honest, I'm having a hard time understanding anything that happened. I've pretty much lost my sense of time passing. Pa says that several people have visited but I have no memory of anyone being here. When I have been awake, I've been surrounded by nurses and doctors asking the same things over and over. I think I stopped listening to anything and spent my time figuring out how the structural and bearing walls had to be placed to support the floors above this one, or working through other mathematical equations just so I wouldn't think about what happened. Engineering uses facts that always hold true. You control the outcome simply by assuring that your information is correct. I deal well with facts, Margaret. My conclusions are sound and I trust them because _I_ have control over the variables. I know exactly what to expect."

Adam was breathing faster and color had risen in his cheeks as he attempted to explain. "What I don't deal well with is being placed in situations where I have no control. My father and others have tried to tell me that I can't predict or control how others will act; that all I can do is adjust as the course varies and live with the outcomes. But that makes no sense to me and I fight those times with all I'm worth. This time, my adjustments didn't come quickly enough to save Melinda from harm. When I think about last week, all I remember is your daughter in that cellar and _feel_ overwhelming frustration and failure. I'm relieved to know that Melinda is safe, and she and Pa both seem to think that I should just let my _feelings_ go and move on. But I can't..."

Margaret rose and kissed the top of his head. "And so you push them away, so you don't have to." She became thoughtful before adding, "Perhaps a first step forward could be assisted by setting a different image of Melinda in your mind—one of her as she looks now."

Receiving Adam's nod of agreement, she continued, "Yet you are not as well-recovered as she is, and while I love her, I think she was very abrupt with you a few minutes ago. Melinda's had time to think and has already determined what she wants to do about her experience. Frankly I'm surprised that she wasn't more affected by the kidnapping, but she says that she had Maxi with her and she knew you would come for her, so she made it through without a lot of residual fears. I can see how she has difficulty understanding that you aren't in the same frame of mind as she is. I also wonder if your trouble figuring things out may stem from having those unanswered questions about what happened."

Adam nodded again. "You speak eloquently, Margaret. I see where Melinda gets her way with words. And you're right, all I know about that day is what I was a party to."

Margaret poked his chest. "None of this will make more sense until you do one thing."

"What's that?"

"Talk to Melinda. You two can put the story together from your perspectives. It is an exciting tale."

Adam chuckled softly. "I'll do just that if she'll talk to me." He shifted to his side, resting on his elbow as he also shifted the conversation. "Thank you, Margaret. You've given me a lot to think about."

"I'm not quite finished." She watched as his eyebrows rose. "I've had the opportunity to talk with your Father. He's an interesting man with wonderful stories of life in the West. What rings clear in all of them is that you and your family rely on one other. I would also bet that the Cartwrights are the people others go to for help. Am I right?"

"I guess that's true." Adam's brows knit in question. "How does that pertain to this?"

"It must have been very hard for you to realize that you couldn't handle the kidnapping on your own. Still you thought it through and sought help from those most likely to give it. How painful was it to share Melinda's fate with Mr. Wadsworth and Les?"

"Excruciating," Adam admitted.

"You had to wait until they thought it was time to move ahead. It's not easy to think about it now, but you've learned that you can't always do everything alone even when you want to, and when you have good people around you, all you can do is trust them."

"It wasn't easy to wait, yet I guess that extra hour proved valuable."

"It did." She hesitated, but continued, "You know that my daughter has always done things on her own too. She is a self-reliant, stubborn woman who had to trust someone she had never met before. Her captivity would have gone far differently without Maxine's kindness. After you hear the story, Adam, you may come to realize that it wasn't your job to save Melinda _._ Maxine saved her by pretending to be knocked out so that she could unlock the door to Melinda's room. That action could have meant Maxine's death and the day would have ended far differently had she not intervened."

Margaret stopped to let those thoughts register before continuing, "Maxine learned to trust again too. She told me that after hearing about you and Melinda, she began to believe that there was more to life than betrayal and ugliness. In many ways, I think Maxine had to save Melinda to save herself."

"I guess I really do need to hear what went on in that house." Adam sighed and then smiled at Margaret.

She grinned back. "It's nice that you agree with me." Her mood became serious. "I've heard how strong you were throughout the ordeal. Frank and Les have not ceased to sing your praises in handling those toads, Lloyd and Castelletti, and for putting the pieces together when the clues were finally there. I think that you're still unsettled at this moment, but you must come to realize that you can trust yourself and your decisions, Adam. Your efforts to rescue Melinda helped close several gambling houses, rescued 30 women, put one criminal in the grave and another behind bars, and saved the lives of my cowardly son-in-law and another innocent bystander.""

Adam turned away. "Margaret, my father, grandfather, Frank and Les are the heroes of this story, not me."

"You did go to some mighty fine people for help, Adam."

"You're right about that" He turned back toward Margaret wearing a hint of a smile. "They were a force that accomplished a lot in a short time. But as for me…" His voice drifted away as his smile faded.

Margaret picked up his thought, "As for you…you figured out what most men would have given up on as soon as they hit the first snag. You acted with honor, skill, and fortitude. And you found my daughter when the odds against accomplishing that were against you. That's what you did."

There was mutual silence after Adam voiced his thanks again. He finally broke into their thoughts, "Pa said that Les might be sweet on Maxine. Do you think that's true?"

"Absolutely!" She lowered her voice to a near whisper. "In fact I think we'll be seeing a lot of Les around dinner time at Miranda's."

"Pa also told me that you and William are moving in with Miranda, and mentioned the work you and she are doing with the ladies that were rescued. I'm truly impressed."

"Miranda was deeply hurt by what Lloyd did, but having something good come from it has helped ease that pain." Margaret grinned widely, "And you'll never guess what Melinda wants me to do."

"What?" He asked with a re-growing smile of his own.

"She wants me to talk to the women from the brothel and find out how they ended up where they did. Then she wants to work with me on telling their stories in a book. Maxine feels that what's happening is a form of slavery, but people don't seem to care much because they've already judged these women as unworthy. If we do this right, we can shine some light into that darkness." Margaret patted Adam's hand. "I'm so excited. I have my daughter back, my humor back and I have a new purpose in life."

"It seems you've had a profitable week." Adam touched her cheek. "I like this Margaret very much."

Margaret hesitated, "Adam, there's one thing from our Sunday dinner that haunts me. I am most ashamed for trying to bully you into calling me, mother. I rather like having you call me, Margaret."

"I'm glad. Is William reeling a little from all the activity and changes?"

"He is. But I've never seen him happier. The manager of his firm is retiring soon and they've asked William to step into that position. It means better pay and more responsibility, and he can't wait."

"I'm sure he'll do a good job." Adam pointed at the dresser. "Will you please see if my clothes are in there, Margaret?"

She found a stack of neatly folded items and lifted it out for him to see.

"Good! Now if you'll wait outside for a minute, I'll get dressed and we'll go find Melinda. I need to see her before she leaves."

"You stay put. First I'm going to find that nurse and tell her to bring you something decent and hot to eat, and then I'll send Melinda back here."

She was gone before he could object. Adam donned pants and shirt, leaving it un-tucked and deciding against strapping a belt around his still tender stomach. He opted for his slippers instead of the boots he saw under the bed, and brushed his hair into place the best he could. Checking his reflection, he noted that his cheeks seemed a little thinner and he had dark circles under his eyes, but otherwise he was the same. Being out of hospital garb lifted his spirits, even though the activity left him winded. He'd barely sat down in the most comfortable looking chair in his room when Frank, Dr. Green, his father and Abel walked into the room and lined up in front of him.

Frank handed Adam a rolled-up drawing. He wasted little time with greetings. "Good to see you up, son. Guess Dr. Green was right. He thought you would be doing much better today." Indicating Ben and Abel with his thumb, Frank said, "I found these two miscreants loitering in the hospital lobby with Melinda's father, and brought them along with me. And Dr. Green has some news that we'll get to in a minute."

Dr. Green looked curiously at Adam's black shirt and pants and made some remark about hospital policy not allowing personal clothing on the wards, but Frank and Ben both gave him wilting looks that silenced him.

Ben tried to offer his thoughts on how much improved his son looked in just a few hours, but was forced to silence as Frank opened the roll of papers on Adam's lap and began talking. "I need your opinion on something, Adam. Look at the specifications for this harbor wall and tell me what you think."

Adam paged through the prints and said, "Ah," as he found the name of the building he was looking at. "These are for the warehouse a few lots away from the McCarty site. Aren't you about ready to start this project?"

Frank replied, "Look at the plans first and then we'll talk. We had a guy with us about two years ago who drew these. He had credentials showing that he'd done harbor work before, so I trusted him. But he took some shortcuts on a different project and I let him go. I didn't give Sid another thought until I remembered that he'd done the work on this one."

"Bring that table over here and get me something to write with," Adam ordered as he quickly scanned the drawing he needed. "The plan was to have ships dock laterally to this wall and then be unloaded with revolving hoists mounted on tracks between the dock and the building?"

"That's right," Frank confirmed. "We need that submerged wall to hold up to the pressure from the ships, and the weight from equipment moving atop the earth adjacent to it."

Adam began jotting down numbers, trying to come up with the same results that were in the specifications. After several minutes, he said, "Well, the figures are textbook, I'll say that."

"Then they're right?" Frank asked hopefully.

"I didn't say that, Frank. I said they were according to the norms for a standard piling wall. But you don't have a standard situation; this is the inner harbor. This guy allowed for the movement of tides, but there's no factoring for the currents from the Mystic and Charles rivers that empty into that area. Nor is there any calculation that adequately accounts for the downward pressure from the heavy equipment pushing at it from the land side. It won't be hard to redo these, but it will involve more lumber and support systems than you factored into your price. It has to be reinforced with dead-men ties anchored into the dirt under the tracks to withstand the actions of weight, percussion, tide and current. I know you can't go back to the owners and say that there was a mistake and now you need more money to do it right, so I suspect you'll be paying for the enhancements out of your profits. And my biggest warning, Frank, is that I'd fear a collapse of the edge as you remove the existing lumber as this proposes." Adam saw his boss pale. "What happened, Frank? Did it already collapse?"

"We got an early start on construction and were removing boards when water started rushing in behind the existing wall and the edge collapsed as you surmised. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt. It could have been so much worse."

Adam closed his eyes and sighed. "I can get this figured out correctly, but I'll need the tonnage of the proposed equipment, information on the currents in the two rivers, tide charts and the size of the largest ships expected to offload. I'll be able to use some of the same information for the McCarty project so that will save some cost. But I'll be honest; the expense to do this right is going to be considerable." He looked up at Frank. "Has the accident brought you any trouble?"

"Some wariness from the owners, but I told them that I would find out what happened and make it right. What's so frustrating is that Wadsworth Engineering doesn't make mistakes like this. I hire only the best people and take pride in knowing that what we do is correct. I accept that accidents can happen in construction, but not because our math is wrong. I'll have to pull every project that idiot worked on and have you go over them. I don't want any other mistakes. Our good name gives us credibility, and I'm counting on you to make sure it stays that way."

"It will, Frank. I promise you that."

"I knew I could count on you, Adam. I already talked to Dr. Green and he feels that we can take you out of the hospital tomorrow morning."

Dr. Green added loudly, "That's if he does well the rest of today and then only with restrictions, Frank. Don't forget that part."

Frank grumbled, "Yes, yes…with some restrictions. Our good doctor will send a nurse along to monitor your recovery and make sure you get enough rest. I reserved a suite in the hotel a block away from the harbor and set up our headquarters there after the accident. The doc wants you to stay there so the nurse can keep an eye on you and do all the things that he's ordered. I'll take her over there today so she can set things up to her satisfaction."

Dr. Green looked directly at Frank. "I've ordered my nurse to give Adam, you, or both of you an injection of morphine if Adam doesn't rest when she tells him to." He turned his attention to Adam. "I figure as long as Frank keeps coming up with something for you to do, you'll do it, to your own detriment. Nurse Anne will follow only _my_ orders." He smiled as he saw the astonished looks on the two men's faces. "And don't think she won't, Frank. She worked with me during the war so she's dealt with the likes of you two before. And you are not to go to the site until I say so, Adam. You can work in the hotel, but need to take frequent rest periods and eat on schedule or you'll end up in the same shape you were in a week ago. I'll stop by to make sure you're doing as I say, and will haul you back to the hospital if I see any backsliding."

"Don't worry, Sam," Frank took the young doctor by the shoulders. "When have I ever not followed your orders?"

"I'm assuming that was a rhetorical question, Frank, or do you really want me to make a list?" Turning again to Adam, he added, "You're beginning to look good for a man who was nearly dead a week ago. Don't let that good work go to waste." He shook Adam's hand saying he'd see him first thing in the morning to check if he was ready for discharge. Dr. Green headed for the door but stopped as he saw the broken bowl of porridge lying on the floor with its telltale journey down the wall etched in drying pabulum. "What happened here?"

"It slipped," Adam replied.

Dr. Green looked back at his patient, and laughed, "I'm sure it did." He pointed at Ben, Frank and Abel. "I have no doubt that these men will make sure the food you have is better than anything we serve here. But until then," he gave Adam a stern look, "you will eat what they bring you."

Frank took over the conversation again as soon as the doctor left. "Ben, I know you're planning to head to Nevada soon, but until you do, could I convince you to give me a hand?"

Ben eyed him curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm taking seriously what Dr. Green advised about Adam. While I need his help, his recovery is the only thing that's important, so he'll stay put at the hotel. I need him working on the specifications for this job and checking everything else that Sid produced, so I'd ask you to be Adam's eyes and ears. You can go to the sites, talk to the people, take measurements or whatever he needs. He'll be able to trust that the information he's getting is correct if you're the one getting it for him."

"I could do that, Frank. I'm not planning to leave until the middle of next week and Adam should be able to do his own legwork long before that."

Frank wasn't finished. "How about you, Abel? I need someone to help Adam get the documents and information he needs. You seem to know your way around the harbor and those associated with it. Would you want to put in a few days of work for me as well?"

Abel was beaming. "I think I'd enjoy that very much."

"Then it's settled! We all worked together so well last week that I'm looking forward to continuing the association. I'll invite you both to stay at the hotel with Adam and me. I don't like disruption so I booked all the rooms near the suite where we're working so there's plenty of places to bunk. I'd also like to get to know you better and we'd have some time to do that in the evenings." Frank slapped Adam on the back. "You about ready to get out of here, son?"

"I'd say I'm more than ready."

Melinda walked in at that moment, stopping short as she saw the men talking. "Oh, I didn't mean to disturb you. Mother said that Adam wanted to see me."

"Come right in, Melinda," Ben invited, "we're leaving." He went to Adam and sat facing him on the arm of his chair. Speaking so that others couldn't hear, he said, "I'm assuming something happened while I was gone? You look like a new man, son."

He met his father's gaze and replied in an equally quiet voice. "I took a few steps forward and learned again that first impressions of people can be wrong. I'll tell you about it later. I'm anxious to talk to Melinda now."

Father and son rose as Ben said, "We'll be by for you first thing in the morning, Adam. Until then, do as the doctor says." Ben gave his son a final nod, and took Abel and Frank by the elbows, leading them from the room, while saying, "Let's go find this nurse and see if she's as tough as Dr. Green says she is."

"What are those three up to?" Melinda asked as she watched them walk down the hall.

"There's trouble at one of Frank's construction sites. He needs our help to figure out what went wrong."

"But this is the first day you've been up. Can't he wait a bit before he puts you back to work?"

Adam went to her and pulled her into an embrace. "After the way I acted earlier, I'm surprised you still care what happens to me." He shushed her protest. "I'm just teasing. I know you're concerned. But honestly, I'm looking forward to getting into those plans. It will be good to have something specific to concentrate on."

"I'd have thought you'd have a few _other_ things to concentrate on before getting back to work," she said peevishly as she pulled from his arms. "But maybe thinking about work is more satisfying than figuring out how you feel about…" Her thoughts stalled as her face collapsed into mask of pain. "Mother implied that you were anxious to see me…that you had something you needed to tell me, and I thought that perhaps you had..." She sighed deeply. "If work is what makes you feel better, Adam, then I'm happy for you. Will you be working on the plans here at the hospital?"

"I'll be relocating to a hotel near the jobsite tomorrow. Dr. Green is sending a nurse along to make sure I behave, but in between I'll be able to work. Frank even enlisted my father and grandfather to help out."

She replied curtly, "Well, it sounds like it's all figured out then. I'd best be getting back to Mother so we can head home. I plan to stop at the publishing house tomorrow to prove that I'm still alive, and pick up some manuscripts to go over at home. Maybe it is best if we both just get back to work and forget about those _other_ things." Her eyes narrowed as she nearly whispered her last thought. "Although…it seems I've spent a lifetime trying to do that, and it hasn't happened yet."

Adam intercepted her as she moved toward the door. Pointing to the bed, he ordered. "Sit down, Melinda." She flashed an angry look, but complied as he placed the "No Entrance" placard on the outside of the door, and shoved a chair up against the inside handle to ensure privacy.

He stood in front of her as he lifted her chin to look at him. "Now, about those other things." He leaned down to kiss her.

She resisted at first but stood to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply in return. "Are things making more sense for you now?" She asked as she took a breath.

"Yes," he breathed as he kissed her again and drew her tightly against him. "You still taste the same as I remember," he said with a wink.

She parried with, "Maxine showed me how to use bacon grease as a lip balm. I hear it's supposed to be very enticing to any man who kisses me."

"Let me sample that again." This time he gently drew her bottom lip between his teeth and moved his tongue against it. "You are tasty." They both began to giggle.

"You're a tease, Adam Cartwright, but I love you anyway." She concluded her statement by playfully swatting his stomach and watched in horror when Adam grimaced. She walked with him to the chairs he and Frank had vacated a few minutes earlier and asked, "Did I hurt you?"

"I'm all right, Melinda. Just a little tender yet, but nothing to worry about. I'll be fine by the weekend."

She regained her humor once she knew she hadn't done any damage. "Is there something going on this weekend?"

"Nothing much that I can think of. Someone told me that I'm supposed to be under Abel's pine tree. I think we're going to prune it or something."

She touched his face, outlining his features with her fingers. "Does your teasing mood really mean you've resolved your uncertainties?"

Adam took her hands. "I want to get something straight. I was never uncertain about the way I feel for you. It was not that my feelings had changed or that I questioned my love for you. It was more that I was at odds with myself.It was your mother who helped me move gently through the mystery of what it was all about **."**

"She mentioned that you two had spoken, but didn't tell me what was said."

"The first thing she did was make me laugh. That single act relieved a lot of tension and allowed me to listen and think better."

Melinda eyed him suspiciously. "Why do I get the impression that neither you nor Mother are going to tell me what you talked about? That's fine though; I'm glad that she could help. I left your room earlier in fear that there was a continent separating us again even though we stood only inches apart."

"I will tell you about it one day. One thing Margaret said was that I need to hear the story of the kidnapping from your perspective. It seems obvious that I would have to do that, but until she mentioned it, it hadn't even occurred to me." He became thoughtful before adding, "When I talked to you earlier, it really did feel as though there was a continent separating my mind from my body. Nothing made sense. But I'm more focused now, so, my dear, please begin with Lloyd coming to get you at work. It's important that you don't hold back any of the details. I need to know it all."

They spent the next hour going through the events of the previous Monday and Tuesday, comparing what they were doing during the same timeframes. Melinda was the first to offer her conclusions when the story was complete. "Mother was right! Our actions were complementing each other even though we couldn't know it at the time. It is a little miraculous."

"It does appear that way." He stood and pulled her up to hold her again.

She took his face in her hands and said, "The part I find most breathtaking is that you were out searching the star-filled skies at the same time I was viewing my own piece of the heavens in that room. It makes me wonder if there were times in the years we were apart that we might have done the same thing."

They held onto each other in silence, until they were startled by a knock on the door and heard the nurse demand, "What's going on in there, Mr. Cartwright? I've checked, and none of the hospital staff is with you, so open this door immediately or I'll have the hinges removed.

Adam looked sheepishly at Melinda and they both began laughing. He removed the chair and let the angry nurse into the room. "I'm sorry," he vowed as he ushered her through the door. "We needed some time to plan our wedding without interruption."

"Oh," the nurse replied as she eyed them with a softer look. "I suppose that was a good enough reason, but you could have simply told us you needed privacy. You were to have eaten an hour ago and we had to send it back to the kitchen to stay warm. I'll go get it now." She swirled around, and exited in a rustle of starched petticoats.

Adam shoved the door shut again with his foot and drew Melinda close.

She laid her hands against his chest. "I felt your heart beating in my dreams, you know." Laying her head on his shoulder she asked, "So what exactly did we decide about our wedding?"

"I'm pretty sure we agreed that you are much better at planning these things than I am, so I'll leave it to you. Your mother will help, and Sadie McIntyre will be glad to lend a hand. I think it will just be your family and mine as well as the Wadsworths. I'll remind Frank of the time, have Grandfather finalize arrangements with Seth, and contact a couple of my fellow choir members who volunteered to sing."

"I want to invite a couple of people I work with, and of course, Maxine and Les. That's about it. I don't think that planning the reception will take much time." Melinda thought a moment before broaching the next topic. "Adam, I know you'll be busy and won't be able to get to this before Saturday, so I think we should tell Seth that there won't be a ring. We can pick one out together later."

Adam remained serious looking as he held back a grin. "Don't worry, my love, I've already purchased a ring."

Melinda's head snapped up as she took a step back. "You have? But…"

"But what?" He asked, still serious. "Don't you want to wear my ring?"

"Of course I do. It's just…in Sacramento…" She struggled to find a way to explain but finally said nothing more.

He fought to keep a straight face. "Let's leave it at this. We'll use the one I bought for Saturday, but if you don't like it, we'll return it and you can pick out something you like better."

She nodded as the nurse began pounding on the door again. "I have your dinner, Mr. Cartwright. You must open this door."

Adam ignored the knocking as he kissed Melinda and vowed, "I'm anxious to prune that tree on Saturday."

"I've waited a long time for this, Mr. Cartwright. I certainly hope you're better at it now than you were 12 years ago."

Adam shouted, "I'll be right there," when the nurse demanded again that he let her in, and he leaned against the door to keep her from entering. Pulling Melinda near he said quietly, "No need to worry, darlin', my skills have improved. He leaned in for a kiss, but as his lips met hers, he started to chuckle. "I must be hungrier than I thought. I want to kiss you but after your comment about your lip balm, all I can think of is having a strip or two of bacon."

Melinda huffed, "Well that's a fine how-do-you-do," before she started to giggle as well. "I was only kidding about the balm you know."

"I know, but why did you have to bring up smoked pork?"

"I hope you don't think about that every time you want to kiss me."

"Nah. I don't think it'll be a problem once I have something in my stomach."

"Maybe I can take your mind off eating for a few seconds and leave you with something to think about until Saturday."

"Oh? What might that be?" he asked as the nurse knocked again.

Melinda whispered in his ear, "This."

Adam's hazel eyes widened to the size of silver dollars while a grin of boyish excitement exploded on his face as Melinda finished her thought with action.

The last thing the nurse heard before going in search of the custodian to remove the door was Adam calling out, "Oh yeah!"

 **Six**

 **With This Ring and a Few Other Surprises**

Working through the issues that had plagued Adam's mind allowed his physical health to return quickly. Being confined to the hotel, he began walking the halls and stairs to regain his strength. Nurse Anne locked her evil eye on him after he snuck out shortly after getting settled in his room on Tuesday and was gone for over an hour. When she reminded him of his boundaries, he smiled disarmingly and said, "Dr. Green said I had to stay in the hotel, not in this room. I never left the hotel."

Frank remained true to his word. When Nurse Anne said it was time for Adam to eat, Frank ate with him, and when she declared it rest time, Frank cleared the room and put his feet up on the couch to take a snooze as well.

It helped that while Nurse Anne had a lovely face, she was also six-foot-two, and had broad shoulders and a booming voice. Her appearance had prompted Adam to tell his father, "Anne looks a little like Bessie Sue from back home, so I'm not messin' with her. I suspect Frank thinks that if he doesn't follow her instructions, she'll toss him out the window."

Abel managed to gather most of the information Adam needed for his recalculations by Tuesday afternoon. At dinner, he expressed his desire to head home after he finished work the next day rather than continuing to stay at the hotel, prompting Adam to pull his father aside and ask, "Do you think Abel is ill? I'm surprised he doesn't want to stay here until we're finished."

Ben replied, "I wouldn't worry, Adam. He looks good and seems to be very well."

They found out why Abel was anxious to leave as they sat around talking after dinner.

Frank presented each of his compatriots with a fine cigar when they returned to the suite after their evening meal. Once tendrils of smoke were rising, he grabbed a bottle from the cabinet. "I know you're a brandy man, Ben, so I brought some along." He shot a conspiratorial look toward Adam. "Since Anne is in her room for the night, I'll pour you a glass too…for medicinal purposes."

The four men sat in comfortable quiet, sipping and puffing, until Ben asked, "I haven't thought about this before, Adam, but are you and Melinda going to live in her house after the wedding?"

"We will for a time, Pa. I think we'll find or build a different place eventually, but this will be fine for now."

Ben then turned his attention to his father-in-law. "I suppose your house will seem empty again once Adam moves next door. I remember you wrote me that it was unbearably quiet when Adam left after he graduated."

Abel smiled at Adam as he answered, "It will, but since Melinda admits that she doesn't cook, and I've eaten what Adam made a couple of times—and paid the price in indigestion—I imagine I'll see the two of them most nights for dinner."

Adam choked on his brandy as Abel offered his thoughts. When he caught his breath, he quipped, "I guess that's true. However, I don't think of it as seeking a good, home-cooked meal so much as spending time with my aging, lonely grandfather."

"You may think of it in any way wish, Adam, but I'll know the truth." Abel leaned over to pat his grandson on the knee. "You and Melinda are always welcome, whether it's to visit or to mooch a meal." He sat back as a wicked smile crossed his face. "And I don't think I'll be lonely. I've asked Sadie to move in after Adam leaves."

Ben nodded approvingly. "That makes sense, Abel. You have that storeroom next to the kitchen. I'm sure Adam can do some work in there to make it into a nice bedroom for her."

Adam chimed in, "Of course I'd be happy to help. I'd add a window in there, but otherwise it would just need fresh paint and some sprucing up."

Abel's smile got wider. "That won't be necessary, Adam. You see, I didn't ask Sadie to move in as my housekeeper…" He stalled as he watched the other three men lean forward, anticipating what he was about to say. "I asked her to be my wife."

The suite echoed with silence as Abel's words stunned the occupants.

Ben finally shot to his feet and came to shake Abel's hand, saying, "You old sea devil. I guess there's a few surprises left in you after all!" He winked at Adam as he added, "Did she say yes?"

Abel rolled his eyes. "Who could resist such a catch? We wanted to tell everyone that first night when you arrived, Ben, but then with the kidnapping and Adam's illness, I thought it best to wait until the timing was better."

Adam moved closer on the couch and hung his arm around Abel's shoulder and gave him a squeeze. "I'm happy for you, Grandfather. I like Sadie very much and can see how you two will make a good couple."

Ben inquired, "Any idea when you two might tie the knot?"

"I was hoping sometime next week."

"I'll be here 'til midweek and could push things back a day or two if it works out." Ben shook his head. "You sure surprised me, but I'm very happy for you."

Frank had remained quiet other than to offer his congratulations, but spoke up as the Cartwright family's exuberance tapered. "That is great news, Abel." Turning toward Ben, he continued. "I don't suppose that if I had some upcoming event, I could ask you to delay your departure even more…perhaps permanently?" He laughed at Ben's stunned look. "I know that won't happen. You have a legacy to complete. It's just that I do enjoy your company and knowledge. You and Adam work well together, even though you are continually grousing at one another while you do it, and I think that the four of us could accomplish some great things, maybe even start a new business venture."

"Thank you, Frank. I've enjoyed working with you as well, but I think the delay for Abel's wedding is about the last one I can make. I'm pretty anxious to return home."

Dr. Green released Adam from his care on Wednesday evening and took Anne with him when he left. "Be careful as you add more food to your diet and take it easy," he cautioned his patient before going. "I'll see you at your wedding on Saturday, and I expect that you'll be completely well."

Ben and Adam decided to continue working together even though Adam was free to go to the sites. There were so many plans to recalculate that Adam found it prudent to have his father remain as the liaison at the harbor site. Everything went faster with two people contributing and Frank was overjoyed when he saw how much work the father and son were accomplishing in a short amount of time.

After consulting with Melinda, Marian sent word to her husband and the Cartwrights, as well as Abel, Sadie and the Hayworths that she was throwing a pre-wedding dinner at their estate on Thursday evening. Frank knew the importance of such a summons and made sure that work at the hotel stopped early enough for the three men to spruce up before leaving.

Margaret's eyes bugged and her mouth gaped when their coach turned into the Wadsworth drive. "I had no idea it would be this grand! How do I behave in such a place?"

Melinda touched her mother's knee from across the coach. "Be yourself, Mother. You and Marian chatted away like old friends at the hospital, so why would it be any different here?"

"I suppose you're right, dear. I fear I owe Adam another apology. I pretty much called him a hayseed at that Sunday dinner. Who knew he had such important friends with a home like this?"

William laughed, "Who knew, Margaret? Apparently everyone but you, dear."

Margaret slapped her husband's arm lightly as she shook her head. "I know that the Wadsworths are an important family, William. It just didn't occur to me that they were…this important."

"Does it make a difference in how you view Adam?" Miranda questioned.

"Not at all. I'm just glad that others recognize his fine qualities as much as I do." Margaret observed the doubtful looks of her family and started to laugh. "I know I might not have always given the impression that I thought he was such a quality person, but I've admitted that I was very wrong about that. I have found much to admire about Melinda's beau. He's a fine man…who has some fine friends." She blushed, "When I see this house and then I think back to what I said about him not knowing the finer things in life—well I guess I'm extremely lucky that Adam has a good sense of humor."

Abel arrived a few minutes later with Sadie and received the congratulations of the group. As those assembled mingled in conversation while enjoying champagne, Adam excused himself to walk outside. He felt fine, but after being cooped up indoors for many days, he needed to breathe fresh air and see the night sky. Evening stars were already visible in the darkening east, while the western sky was still emblazoned with a streak of orange left by the setting sun.

The last time he'd looked up to the heavens his world had been crashing down around him, and he'd asked one thing of his creator. He didn't know all the answers yet, but he'd come to accept much of what Margaret had helped him sort through. He _had_ learned lessons of trust and cooperation, and knew that other lessons derived from the situation weren't meant for him at all. It was true that what he and Melinda had endured had saved many others. Adam wasn't sure why they'd been chosen as the two people to accomplish that task, but he'd come to terms with knowing that maybe such things were never explained in life.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the door open and Melinda call, "Adam, It's time for dinner." He turned to see her standing on the porch and realized that she was his future, and how impatient he was for it to begin. Their wedding would be exactly what they'd wanted: a gathering of those who loved them. He waved and called, "I'll be right there." As he began walking toward the house, he lifted his eyes skyward and saluted as he mouthed, "Thank you."

As dinner concluded, Marian said, "Rather than the men sneaking off to Frank's study, I think we should all stay together and go over the plans for Saturday."

Frank replied, "Yes, dear. That sounds like a good idea." But as she looked away, he rolled his eyes at the other men, pointed to the clock and held up five fingers, and then gave the universal thumb sign meaning "we'll take our leave."

Marian turned to him with eyes twinkling. "Did you just give a signal that you gentlemen would make your exit in five minutes, Frank? Shame on you. This is important."

Frank led the way to the salon as he grumbled to Ben, "I swear that woman has eyes in the back of her head."

Ben laughed, "They all do, Frank; they all do."

Melinda gave a brief explanation of the plans she, her mother and Sadie had made and then gave directives to the men regarding what time they needed to be present. Marian remarked that it seemed like everything was nicely in place and that it would be a fine day. The men said nothing as they gazed on with wide eyes and blank stares.

Marian looked at them and then back at Melinda as she concluded, "I doubt these men heard a thing you said. All they are thinking about is that fine bottle of scotch that Frank has hidden in his study." The women laughed while the men blushed. "Perhaps we'll need to pin a reminder on their coats before they leave tonight telling them the time they need to show up on Saturday."

The men forgot to make their escape as spirited conversation ensued and everyone was surprised when Frank announced that it was nearly eleven and suggested that they should call it a night and resume the festivities on Saturday. As the others shared their farewells, Adam took Melinda into the abandoned dining room to offer a goodbye befitting a soon-to-be-married couple.

"I'll see you the day after tomorrow," he whispered after kissing her "and then we won't ever go home separately again."

"Don't you dare be late for our wedding, Adam," Melinda said sternly after another kiss. "I don't want to wait an extra minute to say I do."

Frank stopped at the harbor site on Saturday to inspect the progress on the wall reconstruction. He found Ben sorting through a timber delivery and Adam chest deep in water showing the crew how to drill holes for the lateral beams to support the wall and stabilize the dirt pack for dock tracks and machinery. Waiting until Adam had climbed out of the construction pit, Frank remarked, "It's no wonder four Cartwrights can run the 600,000 acres on the Ponderosa. I haven't met Hoss and Joe, but I doubt they can be in your family without a lot expected of them."

"We do have some help, Frank," Ben laughed as he joined the other two men. "A lot of the land takes care of itself, and there are several ranch hands for the rest of it. We don't do everything ourselves."

"But you don't sit around waiting for others to do your work for you either. My guess is you all come in tired every night. I've seen Adam work through a long, hard day without one complaint and be willing to keep going when the others are whining about leaving. That kind of determination might be an inherent quality, but it has to be strengthened and trained too. I suspect you have always been the example your sons have followed."

"He sure is," Adam commented as he wrung out his shirt tails. "There were times when my brothers and I were close to declaring a mutiny and heading for town, but we could never really do it Pa because was working just as hard as we were. I remember one time when we thought we'd give Pa a break and told him to stay home while we went to see if we could figure out how several head of cattle had gone missing. The three of us got pinned down by rustlers in a box canyon and Pa had to come save us!"

They were still laughing as the formal Wadsworth coach pulled into the work area. "Oh, oh," Frank said quietly, "it's Marian. I must be in trouble or she wouldn't be here."

Frank hurried to open the door and helped his wife step out, but then returned to stand with Ben and Adam.

"You look lovely Marian," Ben said appreciatively.

Adam added, "That is a beautiful dress. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?"

The beaded reticule suspended form Marian's wrist swung wildly as she threw her arm out and pointed at them. She locked her gaze on Adam, giving him a wilting look as she noted his muddy face and wet clothing. "Did you fall into the river, or do you mean to look like a wet dog?" Not waiting for his reply she attacked again, including all of them this time. "Do any of you fine gentlemen know what time it is?" She answered her own question, "I didn't think so. I stopped at the hotel and they said you had all left around 8 this morning and hadn't yet returned. I had the feeling that you were still here and had my driver check. I'm glad I did!"

"Why are you so concerned with the time, darling?" Frank asked in complete cluelessness.

"It's nearly 2:15 P.M., Frank," she signed as she shook her finger at them again. "Do any of you remember what's supposed to happen at three today?"

Adam blanched. "It can't be that late. I just checked and it wasn't even noon yet!" He looked down at his soggy clothing and back at Marian. "It can take 20 minutes just to get back to Abel's house from here and I still have to get cleaned up." His face sagged as the seriousness of his situation hit home. "Melinda's going to kill me if I'm late. I've kept her waiting long enough as it is." He considered his options and decided, "I guess I'll just have to get married covered in mud and stinking like the river." He laughed sadly. "Don't the wedding vows say for better or worse? I guess if I show up like this, Melinda will have to prove she's up to the _worse_ part of it right away."

Marian shook her head and sighed. "There are two intelligent, capable fathers standing here, and neither one of you can figure out how to get this drowned rat to his wedding on time?" She straightened her spine, giving them an authoritative look and took charge. "This is what we'll do. Frank, you get Adam back to the hotel and cleaned up. Ben and I will go to Abel's house and explain the delay." Looking at Adam she asked, "Where are your clothes for the wedding?"

Adam responded as he would to a commanding officer. "At the house, ma'am. The gray pants and a white shirt hung off to the side in the armoire. The tie is with the shirt."

"And which jacket?" Marian questioned.

"None, ma'am, unless you really want to see me sweating when I say I do. It's warm today." Adam relaxed as he saw the hint of a smile cross Marian's face. "Thank you, Marian. Um…may I ask what reason are you going to give Melinda for my being late?"

"I should tell her that you were too engrossed in work to remember your wedding. But I guess that wouldn't have happened if my husband wasn't such a driven man who expected you to work today. I'll tell Melinda that you fell into the river when you stopped at the worksite on the way to Abel's."

"Just tell her the truth, Marian. I don't want to start our marriage with a lie. I honestly didn't realize it had gotten so late. I had planned to stop at noon."

Marian motioned to Ben and said, "C'mon, Pa. We have a wedding to stall." As they headed for the coach, she looked back at the soggy groom, "Good for you, Adam. You might have lost track of time, but not of your senses. You should never lie to your wife. Oh, and by the way, scrub hard in that bath. I can smell you way over here."

Ben was expecting a very uncomfortable ride on the way to Abel's but was relieved to find Marian in good humor.

He was put at ease when she confessed, "I had the feeling that Frank would ask you and Adam to put in a few hours of work today. He told me that he was having a crew work through the weekend and said, 'those two Cartwrights have made so much progress that we stand a chance of still making a profit on this job by finishing on time.' I had an inkling that you'd get lost in your efforts and I left early enough to swing past here on the way to the wedding."

"I'm glad you did that, Marian. I think Melinda can absorb a few minute delay without much to-do, but I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come by. We always know what time it is on the ranch by using the sun's position and shadows. Work swallows time just as easily back home, but at least we have a better perception of it going by."

As they neared Abel's house, Ben suggested, "I'll tell Abel and Sadie of the delay and get cleaned up. I'll also get Adam's clothes laid out and have a few words with the gentleman who's doing the ceremony. Adam told me something that Seth needs to be aware of."

Marian made her way to Melinda's home and walked into a house bustling with pre-wedding activity. She found the bride and Margaret, and asked them to come into the parlor where it was quieter.

"I bring news from the groom," she began tentatively.

Melinda chuckled. "Don't worry, Marian, I already know what you're going to say. I haven't seen any sign of him next door, so I'm sure he's going to be late."

"You're not upset?" Marian asked with relief.

"If you know Adam, you know he's always going to try to do more than any sane man can fit into a limited timeframe."

"He's a lucky man," Marian replied. "When last seen, he was dripping wet and smelled like the Charles River. It's going to take some time to scrub that smell off, but I don't think he'll be too late."

Margaret made a face and laughed. "Maybe we'll need to shower them with lilac water instead of rice."

The women were joined by Miranda and Maxine who were wondering if something had gone wrong. Melinda explained the delay and smiled as she said, "You all know that I've waited a long time for the dashing Mr. Cartwright, and how we met unexpectedly two years ago in Sacramento. But there's a part of that story I've never told because I didn't want my parents to worry about me traveling."

"What happened, dear?" her mother asked.

"I've told you how Adam was inside a jewelry store at the same time I was outside admiring the display. Neither of knew the other was there and we wouldn't have met if I hadn't been bothered by two men outside that store." She hurried to put her mother at ease when she heard her gasp. "Nothing happened, Mother. Adam saw them and came out to send them away. It was only then that we recognized each other. The jeweler was so upset about me being harassed by those men that he offered to discount any piece of jewelry I'd buy. Adam and I walked past the store later that day and he suggested that I take the owner up on his offer. I pointed to a bracelet in the window display that had an emerald in the center and a starburst of small diamonds shooting out from that stone. It was exquisite but I told Adam that while I loved it, I couldn't have it right then. I added that this was fine with me because the best was always worth waiting for."

"You meant that about him, didn't you?" Maxine offered with a shy smile.

"I sure did. I've told Adam that he was worth waiting for since then, but I doubt that he remembers the first time. I remain of that opinion, so I won't worry about waiting a few minutes more."

Adam jumped from Frank's carriage after an adrenalin-pumping, seven-minute trip through the Boston streets that normally took three times as long. He ran into Abel's house and didn't stop until he was in his room. Everything he needed was set out for him, and quickly donned the fresh shirt and pants. His cleanup at the hotel had been accomplished in record time as well and he glanced at the clock while pulling on his boots, relieved to see that it was only 3:20.

As he reached up to straighten his collar, he got a whiff of his hand and groaned. Having Frank as an ally was an amazing asset…most of the time. Frank could get things done rapidly as he had proven again when he strode into the hotel and ordered that a bath be prepared immediately. Adam had been immersed in a hot tub of water within five minutes of arrival. However, Frank's mannerisms could also scare people who weren't familiar with his booming voice and "get me what I want…NOW!" bearing. After Frank bellowed at an attendant to make sure Adam would come out smelling unlike the river he'd been standing in, the shaking man had dumped nearly half a bottle of Bay Rum cologne into the bathwater. The fragrance had permeated the room, and Adam hadn't been sure at the time if his skin had absorbed the smell, but now he knew the truth. Even after rubbing hard as he'd toweled off, and cooling off some on the ride, he could still smell the strong scent of Bay Rum on his hands. He was about to be married smelling like a dandy heading out for a night on the town.

He remembered to grab the ring box from the top drawer of his dresser, and while doing so, caught his reflection in the mirror. Everything looked fine, except for the mass of curly wet hair gracing his head. He grabbed a brush and pulled hard through the ringlets, only to have the curls spring back into place when the brush was removed. Melinda had never seen him without his hair tamed by pomade and he grinned at his reflection as he admit that the unruly hairdo made him look younger...a lot younger…much as he'd looked when he was a five-year-old. He could have kept brushing until his hair was dryer and then added the wax, but thought instead, _better to get married looking like a little boy than to make my bride wait any longer_.

Adam exited the back door onto the porch and smiled broadly at the scene before him. Abel and Ben were waiting for him there and Adam handed his father the ring as he asked, "You and Seth know what to do when you handle this, right?" Ben assured him that it was all worked out. Adam then turned to the older man. "What happened to the fence between the two yards, Grandfather?"

"I hired a crew to remove it. Seems like your 'small' wedding got a little larger than expected and my yard, by Sadie's estimation, was too cramped to hold enough tables and chairs for the dinner. As she explained it to me, it would have been unseemly to make people pass through that fence to get to some of the tables—almost as though some of the guests were barred from joining in with the other. And I figure it will make getting back and forth between the two places a little easier afterwards too, especially once there's a passel of little Cartwrights playing out here." Abel elbowed his grandson. "Hope I'm not being too presumptuous in calling for a passel, but I expect to see at least a few great grandchildren before I pass from this world."

"You'll outlive all of us, Abel," Adam commented as he took in the other sights in the yard. There were tables filled with food, and a group of people seated near the tree he'd "bodily" pruned twelve years earlier when he'd snapped off branches as he fell. Members of the Symphonic Choir were singing to entertain the waiting guests, and Abel's friend, Seth, was standing near a flower-covered, lattice archway. Adam hadn't ever envisioned exactly what his wedding would look like, but he knew that this was perfect. He'd spent so many years of his life in open spaces that this just seemed the most appropriate way to start the next part of his journey.

Abel and Ben walked with Adam to the front of the group where he greeted those gathered. "Sorry for the delay, folks, but if my bride is still willing to marry me after making her wait, I'm eager to get started."

The crowd was still chuckling as William walked Melinda over from the house next door. Adam could see that she wasn't wearing a traditional, flouncy wedding dress, and was overwhelmed with how simple and lovely she looked. Melinda's creamy yellow sundress had a deeply scooped neckline, short, capped sleeves and a full skirt flowing from a wide, white sash. Her long hair was pinned up and adorned with white daisies, and the only jewelry she wore was the locket that Adam had given her—newly repaired after being ripped from her neck during her kidnapping.

When she made it to Adam's side, he smiled and leaned forward to whisper, "You look perfectly beautiful."

Melinda's eyes rose from Adam's face to his hair as her smile changed to a grin. She winked at him and whispered back, "Those curls are mighty cute, Mr. Cartwright. I'm glad I waited for you instead of running off as others suggested I should when you were late."

The words of commitment were soon offered, the "I do's" repeated and it was time to seal the marriage with a ring. Since Ben was Adam's Best Man, Seth asked him for the wedding band.

Melinda tried to get a look at the ring as it was passed, but Ben handed it to Seth with a closed hand, and Seth continued to hold it with his hand cupped around it as he spoke a blessing. Her curiosity became more heightened when instead of handing the ring to Adam, Seth put his hand out so that Adam withdrew the band, still keeping it out of sight. She thought she understood the reason as Adam took her left hand into his and slid the ring onto the tip of her finger.

She smiled at her husband after glancing down at the ring, and reached out with her right hand to touch his face, saying softy, "Don't worry about the ring, Adam. It's perfect."

It was a plain, wide, golden band, much like the one Adam had picked out for Laura. Yet while she had thought that she would hate anything similar to that ring, she realized now that it didn't matter. She refocused her attention on Adam's face as he began to speak.

"I give this ring as a symbol of my love and fidelity." He slid the band down her finger, but didn't release her hand. Instead, he slowly turned the ring on her finger as he said, "I also give it as a reminder that love is truly worth the wait."

Melinda looked back down at their hands and began to cry as she saw what the ring really looked like now that it was right-side-up. It _was_ a wide gold band; however, a green emerald rose from prongs at the center and was surrounded by a starburst of perfect small diamonds set into the band itself. It was a miniature of the bracelet they'd seen on display in Sacramento.

Seth proclaimed, "With the power invested in me by the state of Massachusetts, and as a minister of the Church of Christ, commissioned by the Maritime Authority, I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The couple didn't wait for permission. They each took one step closer and locked in an embrace that ended with a kiss. The assembled guests cheered as Ben came forward to shake his son's hand and kiss his new daughter-in-law.

Marian, Margaret and Maxine were sitting in the front row, and had given each other odd looks as they saw Melinda crying. Miranda ran to them. "He remembered," she said breathlessly. "The ring—just look at it!"

Maxine ran to check Melinda's hand and turned to the others. "He remembered," Maxine called to them. "I just knew he would."

 **Seven**

 **Oh, The Foibles of a Tired Mind**

The wedding party went on for hours with the darkness illuminated by strings of Chinese lanterns much as the Cartwrights had always done on the Ponderosa. Ben found his son staring up at the display and put his arm around his shoulders. "Reminds you of home, doesn't it?"

Adam nodded. "Not having Joe and Hoss here is the only part of this day I would wish different. Well… that, and maybe that I'd get here on time."

Margaret came to ask Ben if he'd go ask Maxine to dance with him. She told him that the young woman wanted to ask him but was too shy. Once Ben left, she took Adam's face and kissed his cheek, saying, "You have made my daughter very happy today. I remember back to when she first came home giddy about a young man she'd met at the house next to Lynne's. Welcome to our family, Adam. I know we've had some 'interesting' moments already, and you still haven't even met Marie and her husband. I think you'll like them though, and since Lucas is a tailor, I don't think we'll have to worry about him getting you into any trouble."

Melinda came over as Adam and Margaret were speaking, and nestled herself under her husband's arm as she held his hand. "Is this woman bothering you?" she asked.

"Not at all. She was telling me that unless your sister Marie's husband hems someone's pants really badly and the man exacts revenge on us for it, you and I should be safe from any further family kidnappings."

"That's good…I think." She shook her head at the two of them. "I can't say I ever thought that you two would be getting along so well, but I'm eternally happy that you are." She reached for her mother's hand. "Papa says he'd like to leave soon, and the musicians say they're too tired to go on, so the next song will be their last."

As the music ended, the guests began stopping by the newlyweds to say goodbye. Les and Maxine walked up arm and arm to offer their congratulations and thanks for being invited.

Adam grasped Les's hand. "I think we're the ones who are thankful. Without your assistance…"

Les broke in, "I know, Adam. Let's keep only happy thoughts today. It has been my pleasure to get to know you and Melinda in spite of the circumstances in which we were brought together." He grinned as he took Maxine's hand. "And I have something to be very grateful for what came out of it. Maxine is a wonderful woman."

Maxine blushed and broke the handhold long enough to hug Melinda, while whispering, "Enjoy tonight, Melvin. Heaven knows you deserve it." Speaking to the couple, she added shyly, "It was a beautiful wedding." Turning briefly to look at Les and smile, she added, "Thank you both for helpin' me believe in love again."

Frank and Marian were the last of the guests to stop and wish the couple years of happiness. Receiving a reminding poke from his wife, Frank extended an invitation for the following Saturday. "I met Henry for lunch a few weeks ago, Adam, and he was happy to hear that you were back in town, and of your approaching wedding. He's very anxious to see you again and said he could make it out to our house next weekend. Hopefully you and Melinda can make it as well. I know that he's looking forward to meeting your wife, and hearing about your years out West, especially the story of you taking a slug at Sam Clemens." He looked toward his wife to say, "You'll send a note to Melinda with the specifics, Marian?" Receiving her nod, Frank then handed Adam an envelope as he said, "Here's a little something from us to help get your marriage off to a sound start." As he and Marian began to walk away, he turned around and added, "By the way, Adam, I won't expect you in the office until Monday afternoon."

Marian punched her husband in the arm as she looked over her shoulder and said, "What Frank means is that he doesn't expect you in until a week from Monday, don't you Frank?"

Frank's, "Of course that's what I meant, darling," was given as he turned back and showed Adams three fingers and mouthed, "Three days."

Adam and Melinda could hear Marian reproaching her husband as they walked away, "Did you just say he had to be back in three days, Frank? Shame on you!"

"Who's this Henry who wants to meet me?" Melinda asked once the couple was getting in their carriage.

"I think Frank told me once that he and Henry are cousins on his father's side. Frank also says that he doesn't understand all the hoopla made about the man nowadays since he remembers Henry as just a shy kid who didn't want to learn to ride, hunt or jump the fine Wadsworth horses. Frank simply couldn't understand why his older cousin preferred to sit around writing things all day, yet the two of them were close and remain so. They continued to get together after they had children of their own, and I got to know him during my college years when I was at the estate while Henry was there. You know him too, Melinda," Adam said while grinning like a cat with canary feathers stuck to his whiskers.

Melinda puzzled it out a bit and finally gave up. "I don't think I've ever heard of a Henry Wadsworth, Adam."

"It was Henry's mother, not his father, who was a Wadsworth, and she married into the Longfellow family."

"Henry Wadsworth…Longfellow?" Melinda asked. "You're acquainted with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and I'm going to meet him?"

"Yup. Frank said that Henry's life has experienced some tragedy. His second wife, Fanny, died a few years ago, and he hasn't gotten over it."

Melinda gulped as she whispered to no one in particular, "I'm going to spend the day with one of America's most beloved poets. What's next, dinner with the president?"

Adam bid his new in-laws goodbye and told Melinda, "I'll finish putting some things away and head over to your house. You've done enough today, so go ahead and put your feet up after your parents leave and relax. I won't be long." The few things took longer than he had planned and he was exhausted by the time he entered Abel's house. Sadie was in the kitchen and he thanked her again for helping to throw a wonderful party, before making his way into the parlor to find Abel and Ben sitting at the table having coffee.

"I didn't realize that you were still outside, Adam. You look tired," Ben opined.

"I am, Pa. Guess the last couple of weeks caught up to me. I'm going to bed."

Ben and Abel watched him start up the steps and shared a puzzled look. "Where are you going, Adam?" Ben asked his son.

"To bed, Pa, like I said."

"You forgetting something?" Abel asked, barely keeping a straight face.

Adam stopped his ascent. "Not that I can think of. Everything is put away outside, and you two can lock up after you get Sadie home, can't you?"

Now they were laughing so hard that Ben could hardly speak, but managed to squeak out, "Hey, Abel, he really must be tired if he can forget that he's married to that beautiful woman next door. Won't she be surprised when he doesn't show up there tonight!"

Abel was wheezing with laughter as Adam's face went from pale to crimson. He came back down the steps and pointed at the men who were now pounding on the table as they hooted. "Listen you two!" He waited until they calmed themselves enough to hear him. "Neither of you is going to say a word about this to Melinda. No one will tell her about my…my…my lapse of memory, or neither one of you will ever get to see any grandchildren that this marriage might produce."

Abel slapped his knee as he began laughing again. "I don't think your father and I have to worry about that threat if you sleep here and she sleeps next door." He looked at his son-in-law and asked as tears ran down his cheeks, "Didn't you have a talk with Adam about these things when he was younger, Ben? He seems to be a little unclear as to how children are created."

The door slammed behind Adam after he hollered his thanks for the wedding over the pair's howling. He could still hear them hooting when he made it to Melinda's porch. As he reached for the knob, the humor of the situation hit him too and he chuckled before pushing the door open and stepping into his life as a married man.


	4. Til Death Do Us Part - Part 4

**Part Four**

 **Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cartwright, of the Boston Cartwrights**

 **One**

 **New Life as Husband and Wife**

A single lamp remained lit downstairs as Adam entered Melinda's house. He'd spent a lot of time in the downstairs rooms of this residence through the years, but he'd never gone up to the bedrooms. Since the floor plan seemed much like Abel's, he figured he'd find his way yet he didn't want to frighten his new wife by just appearing out of the darkness, so he called, "Hey, Mrs. Cartwright, where are you?"

"Up here in the last room on the left. Bring the lamp so you can see."

He did as she'd suggested and found her propped against a pile of pillows, reading with the light of a bedside lamp.

She jumped from the bed to greet him with a kiss. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me, Mr. Cartwright."

Adam took a step back into the shadows and extinguished the flame in his lamp so Melinda wouldn't see the color rising in his cheeks. "How could I forget having such a lovely bride?" He hoped his voice sounded convincing. Nodding toward the lamp, he asked, "Where do you want this?"

She put the light fixture on a table outside the door and then led him to the edge of the bed where she ordered her husband to sit. "You look spent, Adam. Are you feeling all right?" After checking his forehead with her cheek, she concluded, "You're warm and your skin seems a little flushed, but you don't have a fever."

"I feel fine. It's just been a long day." He kicked off his boots, tugged his shirt free of his pants, and sighed as weariness covered him like a blanket. He came back to life quickly as Melinda went around the bed, moved up behind him and began kneading his shoulders. "That feels good," he groaned, "thank you."

She stopped the massage after a few minutes, and kissed the top of his head after tousling his curls. "Why don't you stretch out, get comfortable and relax for a few minutes."

"That's probably a good idea," he yawned as he lay down. "There are a few things I'd like to talk with you about before we turn in."

"Like what?"

He adopted a serious look. "First of all, do you like your ring or will we need to visit the jeweler on Monday?"

"She held her hand out to see the ring glisten in the lamplight. "This is never coming off my finger. It's perfect."

Adam took her hand and examined the ring from several angles. "It's a beautiful ring for a beautiful woman."

Melinda stroked his cheek. "How did you know I wouldn't want a traditional wedding band?"

"When I was choosing that ring in Sacramento, the jeweler kept chattering about a beautiful woman who was watching through the window. I didn't look up because I just wanted to buy something and get out of there. After I picked one, he prattled on about how the woman outside approved my choice. Then," his voice took on a sad tone, "when we recognized each other outside the store later, I realized that _you_ were the beautiful woman who'd been watching. I couldn't forget the hurt look in your eyes when the jeweler came out and handed me that ring box." He sighed as he shook off the memory and smiled again. "I figured that wasn't a moment either of would want to remember during our wedding and decided that there was a better part of that day to celebrate instead."

"You never cease to amaze me, Adam. I thought sure you'd forgotten the bracelet…and the conversation." She thought a moment and asked, "Is that it or are there more issues you need to discuss."

"There are more," he grinned devilishly, "let's see, I sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door, whichever side that is; I keep a window open at night—at least a little even when it's cold; I sleep in the…ah, I don't wear a nightshirt, and I often leave my dirty socks on the floor. Can you tolerate all that?"

"So far, I have no problems. I'll just sleep next to you wherever that is since I have no side preference; I like the window open too; I think I shall enjoy having you next to me without a nightshirt, and I won't pick up your socks. You'll have to do that at least once a month so we don't trip over the pile."

"I knew I liked you," he touched her face and then let his fingers drift down her neck and slip into the open v of her robe's neckline. "I see that you aren't encumbered by night clothes."

Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial volume. "Don't ever tell my mother, but Aunt Lynne always said that the one thing a woman shouldn't scrimp on was bed linens. She always sent away for the finest fabric and said she couldn't see any reason for putting anything between her body and her expensive sheets. Her bedtime motto was…" Melinda blushed, "sleep free and always keep a robe handy for emergencies."

"Sounds practical…and scandalous. Do you endorse your aunt's theory?"

Melinda nodded. "Of course I traveled so much the last few years that it wasn't possible, so it's something I'm getting used to again." She abruptly changed the subject. "So have I assuaged your concerns in such a way that you won't be seeking an annulment tomorrow?"

Adam drew his wife down on the bed next to him and turned on his side to look into her eyes. "There are a few actual things I feel strongly about, Melinda. I want to have children—however many we're given. When we do let's not ever forget that we are lovers as well as parents. I think it's important that we not fall into the traps of calling each other ma and pa or thinking of each other as little more than the furniture in our home. Promise that we'll always look at each other as we are at this moment, and want each other as much as we do tonight."

After Melinda indicated her agreement with a kiss, he added, "One more thing. I've lived with men my whole life. Be honest with me if any of my habits seem intolerable. In fact be honest about everything. I don't want you to ever hold your thoughts inside or let them brew without saying what's on your mind."

She rolled him onto his back and kissed him again. "I'm going to like being married to you. I'll poke you if your behavior gets too crude, and ask that you don't let the little things build up to big things before we talk about them either. Lloyd couldn't face that he was in trouble and destroyed everything instead of telling Miranda what was wrong. I don't ever want to realize that we've let the little annoyances of married life become too big to get around." She kissed him deeply. "And speaking of children, maybe we should get working on that?"

"I think we should."

Melinda pushed Adam down when he tried to sit up. "And about that…it's my turn to tell you just a couple of things." She laughed as his eyes widened, but her tone turned serious. "I know you're more worldly than I am, Adam, but I wanted to have some idea of what to expect tonight."

He touched her cheek gently. "I'm not as 'worldly' as you might think I am, Melinda."

"I don't want to know anything about that. You're mine now and nothing that happened before matters. However, I didn't want you to be disappointed with me, so I did some research." Noting that his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline, she laughed again. "Not that kind of research, Adam. I just asked other women their thoughts about their wedding night and did some reading."

His brows returned to their normal positions and then headed downward into a look of bewilderment. "Women talk openly about such things?"

"Of course they do. You told me once that you were shocked when Laura spoke to you about her wedding night, so the fact that other women talk too shouldn't be a surprise. What I found out was that some women think of what we're about to do as a marital duty or a wifely burden. I think they feel that way because they were told it was what to expect. Others were so unprepared on their wedding night that they were nearly scared to death when things started to…ah…come up..." She blushed deeply. "Not that I know what happens…exactly…but I have an idea about what to expect—in here." She pointed to her head.

Adam grinned broadly. "So where do you stand on your wifely duty?"

"I don't see it that way, or at least I don't think I will if it's as good as others have told me it is. A lot more women truly like this part of being a wife and say that marital unions can be very…satisfying."

The grin widened to a toothy smile. "Believe me, darlin', it can be more than satisfying. It can raise the roof a few inches off the top of the house, and curl your toes if done right. Shall we do a little research of our own now?"

"Absolutely, but…um…there's one more thing. I received an unsolicited manuscript at work that described the qualities of good marital…um…coupling."

Adam laughed loudly. "Coupling?"

"Don't laugh at _me_ , Adam. That's what the author called it, and while it wasn't the kind of book we'd ever publish, I did make a few notes before I sent it back."

"Notes?"

"Yes, several pages of notes. I was wondering whether you would mind if now and then we try some of what the book suggested."

Adam hadn't felt this excited about diving into something since the day he and his brothers had taken on Jigger Thurman's bull in Virginia City. He wanted to jump up and shout for joy that his new wife was not only willing to enjoy "marital coupling," but was open to a little exploration as well. He closed his eyes as he savored the moment.

Her voice and lip trembled on the verge of tears, "You're shocked and repulsed by what I just said, aren't you?"

His eyes popped back open. "I am neither of those things. In fact I was just giving thanks. You are the most incredible woman I have ever known." He sat up. "Maybe I should get undressed and experience just how good these expensive sheets feel."

The tears passed as Adam's remarks allowed Melinda's good-humored lustiness to return. She pushed him down a second time. "Oh no you don't. You may think that my ring was your wedding gift to me, but tonight _you_ are my gift and I get to unwrap you and see what's under the paper."

He tugged on the end of the bow that held her robe together. It slithered open, loosening the silky fabric and sending it cascading from her shoulders. He whistled as his breathing accelerated, "Using your analogy, I think I just unwrapped my gift, and may I say, wow! It's perfect."

Melinda beamed with the compliment and opened his tie and the top button of his shirt, placing a kiss on his neck.

Adam closed his eyes and sighed with pleasure as he thought, _This is a sweet touch, and quite pleasant._

By the time she'd opened the third button, he was thinking, _whoa! This is more than pleasant, this is…well it's a lot more than pleasant._ He squirmed a little, causing Melinda to ask if there was anything wrong. He answered, "Nothing at all," as he attempted to smile while holding his breath.

The warmth of her breath and the softness of Melinda's lips on his skin as each button came undone kept Adam doing multiplication tables and several other mathematical functions to keep from reacting too fully. He also mentally criticized his choice of shirts for the day, bemoaning the number of buttons on the "special order" item that promised to keep a man looking put-together no matter the activity _. I bet they never envisioned this activity_ , he chuckled silently.

Melinda neared the last button while Adam was having a harder time concentrating on other things. He finally ordered himself to s _ing something with lots of words_. He was mentally singing, _Oh do you remember_ , as the final fastener yielded. He relaxed and was congratulating himself on his self-control when Melinda undid the buckle of his belt and the first button of his trousers.

 **Two**

 **Ghosts of Weddings Past**

Abel and Ben returned from walking Sadie home and headed up the stairs. The older man followed his son-in-law into Elizabeth's bedroom and picked up the portrait of his daughter from the dresser.

Ben asked, "Is something wrong, Abel? You look puzzled."

Abel asked quietly, "Do you think that those who've passed know what's going on down here, Ben?"

"I've often wondered about it. There were times when I _sensed_ the presence of boys' mothers during their illnesses or celebrations of their accomplishments. Those incidents made me wonder whether earthly bonds are fully broken when a mother is taken from her young child." Ben saw Abel's sad smile and added, "What makes you ask?"

"I think I felt a little of what you just mentioned today during the wedding. I know that Elizabeth wasn't _there_ , yet at one point, I actually looked for her among the guests. I suppose I'm getting old and daft."

Ben put his hands on Abel's shoulders. "Don't think that, Abel. As I handed the ring to Seth, I thought I smelled Elizabeth's perfume but decided it was the fragrance of the arbor flowers renewing old memories."

Both men remained quiet until their attention was drawn toward the open window as they heard a loud voice from the house next door. Ben asked, "Was that Adam?"

Abel grinned. "Sounded like he shouted, sweet Betsy from Pike."

Ben grinned slyly at Abel as he moved to shut the window. "Are you looking forward to being married again?"

"I am. I love Sadie, and while I suspect I won't have as much fun on my wedding night as my grandson seems to be having, it will be wonderful to have someone by my side again. Adam's being with me again has been a blessing I hadn't dared hope for those years he was away. Yet he needs to get along with his life now, and with Sadie, I will do the same."

They bid each other goodnight as Abel exited, closing the door behind him. Ben looked over the decorative bottles on Elizabeth's dresser, placed as they'd been on the day Adam had been born. He picked up the one he was looking for—the Parisian Nights cologne he'd given her for Christmas 37 years ago—the same scent he'd noted during Adam's wedding. He expected the essence in the bottle would be foul-smelling after so many years, but it was still as it had been, evoking sweet memories of his first wife. He looked upward, whispering, "It was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it, Elizabeth?"

 **Three**

 **Raising the Roof**

"You're dewy, my dear lady," Adam teased as he trailed a rivulet of perspiration that ran from Melinda's cheek down to her shoulder.

"That's hardly, dew," Melinda quipped. "It's just plain old sweat, and it's hardly ladylike."

He raised himself up on his elbow and smiled down at her. "It seems that you enjoyed your first call to marital duty."

"Yes I did…very much." She hesitated, but decided that Adam wouldn't be upset at her naiveté, and asked, "But how do _you_ know that I did?"

"Hmmm. It might have been that you cuffed me in the head and told me not to stop when I had to stretch a cramp from my back.

She sat up looking shocked. "I hit you? I don't remember hitting you."

"You did. And then there's the fact that you were purring and growling."

"Purring?" she asked sheepishly. "You mean like a cat?"

"Louder and deeper than a plain old cat. I'd say more like a tigress."

Tears welled in her eyes as she sobbed, "I'm sorry I was so dreadful, Adam. I really wanted it to be wonderful for you and then I end up acting like a madwoman and ruined everything."

Adam eased her back down to the pillow, turned her onto her side, and pulled the sheet up to cover them. He drew her tightly against him as he spoke softly in her ear, "Melinda, darling, you did everything perfectly tonight. A woman making love to her husband for the first time should release her passion and allow it to crescendo to completion just as you did. Best of all, you trusted me and allowed me to help you through your first experience to make it as powerful for you as for me. Making love to you gave me more pleasure than I have ever known before, and If I'm being truthful, I'm pretty sure I was acting like a madman myself at times. I am a fortunate and happy man."

She dried her tears on the hem of the sheet and giggled, "I did hear you shouting with some gusto." As she snuggled her head into the crook of his arm, she shivered with the memory of what had just transpired. "All I know is that I've never felt anything like that in my life, Adam. Did we raise the roof?"

"I think it lifted at least two inches," he teased, "and I promise it will go even higher the next time. But we need to rest a little now. It's been a long and wonderful day for both of us." He groaned as he realized the lamp was still burning on the table next to the bed and made a weak attempt to reach it without moving. He curled his arm back around her and sighed, "I know I should get up and snuff that, but I'm too comfortable right now. I think we're both sleepy enough that it won't matter."

Melinda nestled more tightly as she admitted, "I've kept a lamp burning at night since the kidnapping. Waking up in that dark room is the only thing that still bothers me."

Adam yawned. "I promise that you'll never have to worry about that again." He kissed the top of her head before settling into his pillow. As he closed his eyes, he confessed softly, "Having you here in my arms, and holding your hand while we sleep is something that I've looked forward to for a very long time."

"Adam," she said with a sleepy chuckle, "Since when is _that_ my hand."

Adam awoke early as he always did and let Melinda sleep while he took a look around to get the lay of the land. He found a stack of his clothing on Melinda's dresser—items sent over by the hotel—and another basket of clothes and personal items on the kitchen table, probably delivered by his grandfather during the wedding party.

He knew that it would take some time to get used to this house, but he managed to find a coffee pot and grounds, and set that on to brew after building a fire in the stove. He washed up in cold water, put on fresh clothing, set water on to warm for Melinda's morning ablutions, and finally found a cup for his eye-opening beverage.

Hearing footsteps above him, he ran up to find Melinda padding around in her robe and bare feet, trying to decide what to wear. His suggestion that, "We might just stay in today, requiring you to wear nothing at all," was met with a sour look from his new bride, even though she followed that with a wink…and a promise. He decided that waiting for a woman to get ready was going to be one of those adjustments he had mentioned to Melinda during the night. A bane in his life as a bachelor had always been to arrive in a timely manner to escort a woman somewhere, only to be kept waiting. Now he realized it was going to be the norm and concluded that he'd have to become creative in using the wait to his advantage instead of grousing or pacing.

Leaving his wife to her wardrobe decisions, Adam headed back down to his coffee and retrieved the cache of notes he'd removed from the pockets of the pants he'd worn during the wedding, and others that he'd found stacked next to the clothes basket on the kitchen table.

There was a telegram from Hoss and Joe wishing him a happy life, and expressing their hopes for many nieces and nephews. Each brother had sent a more personal telegram as well with thoughts for both Adam and Melinda. He could see them laughing as they put together the wording of the bawdier message to him, followed by each of them saying they had something to do in town for a bit. After separating, they would have made their way back to the telegraph office to send the second wires. Knowing how things worked between Joe and Hoss, Adam envisioned them arriving at the same time and hemming and hawing about why they were there. These thoughts made his heart ache. His brothers had been his best friends while also being his biggest challenge and responsibility growing up. He missed them.

Adam shook off his heavy heart and continued sorting through the envelopes. He put a few aside unopened, feeling that Melinda would want to look first at the ones from her friends. One card was signed by several members of the symphonic choir. It also contained the date for the rescheduled concert, and a notice that rehearsals for the Requiem would recommence on Tuesday evening and continue on a frequent basis for the remaining time until the performance.

The final envelope he opened was the one that Frank had delivered as he and Marian had left. Adam put it down after reading it, feeling mystified. He looked up as he heard Melinda descending the steps—still in her robe—carrying the ewer that matched her wash basin.

"I smelled coffee and hoped that you'd put water on to heat as well?"

He muttered, "Yup," as he pointed toward the kitchen while rescanning the letter from Frank, "In there."

Melinda walked to the table and peered over his shoulder. "What are you reading, Adam? You look unsettled. Is it bad news?"

He reached back to take her hand and said, "You better sit down for this. This is from Frank and I don't know what to think about it."

Her brows hooded her eyes in concern. "I can't imagine what Frank would say to make you look so uneasy."

Adam turned back to look at her. "He and Marian have set up a trust for us, and made me an heir to their estate."

"Why would they do that?" Seeing Adam's eyes reflect the same question she added, "Maybe you'll need to explain this a little more."

"Frank wrote that Marian and the kids have been after him for years to include me as an official member of their family." Adam pointed to a paragraph.

She sat and rested her hand on his arm as she read, and finally commented, "They love you, Adam. It's here in words, but I have always known that to be true just by the way they act when you're around. I don't imagine that you think you've done anything special for the Wadsworth family, but you've found a place in their hearts." She thought a moment, "You do feel like you're part of their family, don't you?"

"Sure, but…I have my own father and family."

"You can be part of the Wadsworth family without it meaning that you're less of a part of your own. You're part of the Hayworth family too now. Families are formed as much through a meeting of hearts as they are through blood. Even the Cartwright family tree has three different limbs that are grafted in your father."

Adam nodded. "I think you're right about that. But you might understand my reserve when you see this." He slid out the second page of the letter and pointed to a figure at the bottom of the page. "This is the amount in the trust."

"Wow!" She whistled as she reread the sum. "What are you going to do with all that money?"

"Save it I suppose…I don't know. And it's our money, not just mine. You realize that my share of the Ponderosa is worth a good deal and I have investments that are doing well. We're set for life…actually for a few lifetimes, Melinda, but I don't ever want to sit back and roost on that fact. Let's go on as if it's not there so that we work toward our own goals, whether they bring fortune or not. If we let this grow, we'll be able to do something to benefit others in ways we can't imagine right now."

Melinda hugged him. "I like that idea. Maybe we can endow a school or help some deserving organizations. Our incomes should allow us to pay our bills, save some, and still have plenty left for travel and a few splurges now and then. In fact…" she smiled shyly, "I'm thinking we might have enough to take a trip somewhere in the near future? I'd like to get away and do as we wish for a few days. "

Adam took her pitcher as he rose from the table. "My dear," he said as he bowed to his wife, "I think that we can speak of trips once you are suitably attired. Perhaps we can shed the bonds of city life for a blanket on the banks of a river somewhere to discuss it further. If that sounds pleasant to you, I will fetch your water and take it up to your boudoir to expedite our leave-taking."

She returned his smile with a wink. "As long as we're heading toward my bedchamber, sir, we might well use it for roof-raising purposes first, don't you think?"

Adam grabbed her hand after setting the pitcher back on the table. "That hot water isn't going anywhere. Race you up the stairs…"

The newlyweds decided that they were more inclined to laze around instead of going anywhere. While eating leftover wedding cake and sipping coffee, they talked about a possible trip and decided that they could take time off as soon as Adam's concert was over and Melinda finished looking through the pile of submissions she'd been given at work. They didn't wish to travel so far that the journey would leave them worn out for the days they'd spend at their destination, and New York seemed a reasonable choice.

Melinda quickly voiced one of her expectations. "I'd like to meet with Susan Anthony while we're there. I met her once with my aunt and I've heard that she's working in New York while trying to get a monthly newsletter into publication. Maybe she could give me some suggestions about the best way to present the information my mother is gathering about the women from the brothels."

"I'm very interested to see what you and Margaret put together," Adam responded. "Les mentioned that some of the ladies have already left the mission and have probably gone back to the same kind of work. I hope Margaret gets a chance to interview them as well."

"If anyone can get them to talk, it will be my mother." She laughed and then asked, "Would you want to talk to Miss Anthony too?"

"I should think it an interesting conversation." He drew a long breath. "But if I go with you, then you'll have to accompany me to a meeting I'd like to attend while we're there."

"What do you have in mind?"

"There's a conference scheduled in a few weeks discussing a coming revolution in building engineering that will utilize the Otis elevator and steel framing. They're talking about multi-story structures that will someday scrape the sky. Of course current construction methods and materials haven't reached the point of making this a reality yet, but I'd guess that a ten story-or-greater, steel framed building will be constructed within twenty years. And once we figure out how to make things work for that," he threw his arms over his head, "then they sky's the limit."

Melinda gave him a sidelong glance. "How about I talk to Miss Anthony and you go find out how to build sky-scraping buildings. We'll tell each other what we learned at dinner. Let's plan a few things to do together and I'll get a schedule of concerts and plays being performed while we're there. We'll spend our days exploring, our evenings enjoying dinner and the arts, and nights in our hotel room enjoying each other."

Adam's shook his head as he reached for his bride's hand. "Why do I suspect that life with you will never be dull, Mrs. Cartwright?" He drew her hand to his lips and suggested, "Maybe we should head over and spend time with my father today. Pa will be leaving soon and there hasn't been much opportunity for the three of us to be together.

Melinda agreed and finished getting ready. The couple walked through Abel's back door just after noon. "Ah," Abel called to Sadie, "add two more plates. We have company, and they look hungry."

Lunch was an indoor picnic with an abundance of food left over from the wedding. Feeling too full to move, and disinclined to rush in cleaning up, the group talked about the previous day. Sadie asked for a better look at Melinda's wedding band and Adam again offered his thanks for their stellar planning.

As that discussion waned, Adam remembered a question he'd been meaning to ask his father. "Have you heard anything about the outcome of the Washington inquiry, Pa?"

Abel offered his comment as well. "I didn't see anything more about it in the paper."

"I'm not sure it's over," Ben explained. "The only testimony remaining was that of a few zealous Southern advocates and Terry himself, but I'd heard that he might not come. They gave him a deadline to present himself so there should be news soon. As I understand it, all testimony will be reviewed and charges will follow if warranted. It could still take some time for an outcome."

"You warned Terry, Pa. It's too bad he couldn't soften his views once he knew the war wasn't going to end as he wished." Adam added, "Did you get a feeling for how it might go?"

Ben shook his head. "It seemed to me that the whole exercise was more about making sure they understood what happened so that it won't happen again. Sadly, I think that men like David Terry will never be the same. They remain unable or unwilling to move ahead. It will take years for this country to heal, but for some, the healing will never come."

Conversation ceased as those around the table considered Ben's statement. Sadie finally rose and asked the other to pass their plates to start the cleanup.

Melinda volunteered, "I'll wash the dishes but I need someone to dry."

After Ben agreed to help, Adam warned, "Watch out, Pa. Melinda swings a mean towel whip." He received a scathing look from his wife as he laughed, "She'll have to take lessons from Little Joe though. He could spin that towel and deliver a sting so fast you couldn't even prove he'd done it."

Melinda began gathering the serving dishes while changing the subject, "I can't believe how quickly everything got cleaned up last night! I'm glad these few dishes are all we have to worry about." Unable to stifle a yawn, she blushed. "Sorry about that. I think we could probably all use a nap. I know Adam didn't come over until quite late last night, and was up early." She yawned again more quietly. "In fact, it started to get so late that I thought maybe he'd forgotten about me." She watched with interest as secret looks and grins were exchanged between the two older men and Sadie. She also saw the pink in Adam's cheeks as he stared down the other three. Melinda began to grin as she queried, "He did forget about me, didn't he?" She looked directly at her husband. "What do these three people know that you obviously don't want them to tell me?"

Adam spoke sternly, "I don't think these people have anything to offer on that subject…do they?"

Ben said, "I didn't see Adam heading upstairs to his bedroom after he came inside last night."

Abel added, "And I didn't hear him say that he was going to bed…twice…as he looked at us like we were daft for asking where he was going."

Sadie grabbed the stack of dirty dishes and laughed, "I ain't sayin' a thing!"

Melinda's eyes locked in on Adam. "Well? Do you have anything to offer?"

He stared back. "I claim my constitutional right to not incriminate myself." He thought further and added, "But in my defense, I hadn't forgotten about you, I just forgot where I was. In the last two weeks, I've stayed at the Wadsworths, in the hospital and then in a hotel. I wanted to go to bed, and forgot that it was next door."

She reached down to pat his shoulder. "That's all right sweetie. All that matters is you found your way home…even if you forgot where it was for a bit."

The afternoon passed quickly with Ben telling tales of Adam's childhood to Melinda's delight. He also shared stories from his son's adult years on the Ponderosa after Adam excused himself to take a walk. Conversations continued on until it was time for dinner and the group decided to walk to a pub where Abel and Sadie planned to celebrate their wedding.

 **Four**

 **And Life Goes On**

Both Adam and Melinda went to work on Monday afternoon but took Tuesday off for Abel's wedding. The older couple was married in an early morning ceremony at a chapel near the harbor basin. Sadie's family along with the Cartwrights lunched at the pub and then sent the newlyweds off to a night of pampering at the Parker House Hotel.

When Adam left for choir practice that evening, Melinda and Sadie's daughter, Wilma, snuck up to Abel's room and added a few feminine touches. A new quilt, lighter curtains and matching milky-white lamps brightened the room instantly. Melinda brought over new sheets, rugs and a watercolor of the Boston harbor to soften the effect of Abel's nautical knickknacks. The two women were greatly pleased by the transformation and hoped that Abel would be inclined to agree with them.

With the updates finished, Ben and Melinda spent the remainder of the evening talking. They formed an easy bond as she questioned him further about the Ponderosa and the two sons back home. Ben asked more about her work and family, and even felt comfortable enough with Melinda to speak of his time on the sea with Abel as his captain, meeting and marrying Elizabeth, and his decision to head West with his infant son.

The main subject of Ben and Melinda's earlier conversation made a quick stop to say goodnight to his father when he returned from rehearsal. "So what do you think of her, Pa?" he asked, coming straight to the point.

"I like her very much, son. Were you concerned that I wouldn't?" his father asked with a questioning smile.

"Not really. It's just that she has strong opinions and isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks."

Ben laughed and came over to grasp his son's shoulders. "I can handle opinionated women, Adam. Your mother, Inger and Marie were all outspoken and I loved them for it. Melinda makes her opinions known, but she also seems willing to listen. She's intelligent and strong-willed, but those qualities are tempered by an open heart. What impressed me most is how much she loves you."

"That she does. The feeling is mutual, Pa."

Father and son said goodnight and Adam made his way next door. He didn't have to ask Melinda what she thought.

"I like your father, Adam. He's so easy to talk with. He wasn't afraid to question my opinions, but he made a real effort to understand them. I do see a lot of him in you. You are both strong, passionate about what you believe in, and devoted to family."

"He feels the same about you, my dear. You must have bewitched him because he thinks that you are easy to get along with. I know better." A pillow flew across the room, knocking the hat off his head. "Your aim is improving, Melinda…that's if you were aiming for my head." He reached the sofa in a few long strides and pulled her up into an embrace. "We've only been married four days and you're already attacking me? I have ways of dealing with such an insolent wife."

Melinda threw her arm across her forehead and cried, "Alas, I am a wayward wench. Take me upstairs and do with me as you see fit." They were both laughing as he chased her up the stairs.

Ben was looking out his bedroom window as he saw the lamp extinguished next door. He smiled, certain that his son was happily married to a woman who was a good match—an equal in every way. He couldn't help wondering what this new couple's presence on the Ponderosa might do, and decided he would have to propose that possibility to Adam before leaving for Nevada.

Adam and Ben spent Wednesday with Frank on the Wadsworth estate where the two Bostonians made the Nevadan rancher attempt to ride with an English saddle. Adam gave up his western-saddled horse and took over the steed his father finally abandoned after continued problems staying in the slimly-cut seat.

That change made the day go more smoothly in many ways, and by the end of the ride, the two older men had fully discussed many things, including the value of good horseflesh, and how to ship Sport to Boston.

Ben said, "Sport is really too much horse for our hired men to handle, and Joe and Hoss have their own favorites, so he doesn't get ridden much. I suspect that there'd be several people here who could ride him without problem, and Adam could get out here when he has a chance. He would be a good horse to help work the thoroughbreds."

Frank agreed. "Let me know what you decide, Ben. We'll take good care of him and put him to work if he comes."

All Adam could do was laugh. He hadn't been consulted for an opinion, but felt he would benefit if his father did send Sport. As he rode along listening to the two older men talk, he realized that he hadn't said more than a few words all morning. He was glad that his father and Frank got along so well, and couldn't help but consider that while he'd had three women in his lifetime that he thought of as mothers, it now seemed that with Abel and Frank, he had three fathers as well. There would be times when having one father would be hard enough to cope with, yet he deemed himself blessed.

Father and son returned to the Stoddard home in the afternoon to find Abel and Sadie back from their brief honeymoon, and thrilled with the changes to their room. Melinda and Adam volunteered to cook dinner, and the family dined on scrambled eggs, cornbread and sausage. It wasn't much of a feast, but it was better than anything else the newlyweds might have conjured up on short notice.

As they brought out the repast, Ben smiled appreciatively. "Whew!" he offered when Melinda set her bowl of eggs on the table, "with Adam doing the cooking, I was sure it would have included beans! Although he hates them, it's about the only thing he can warm up."

Following dinner, Adam approached his father. "Would you come with me to rehearsal, Pa? We talked about it earlier but I'm not sure you gave me an answer. I mentioned that we're only doing the first few sections of the Requiem tonight, but with the orchestra there you'll get the effect of what the concert will sound like. The only thing I'd advise you to do is to bring along something to read or work on in case we end up doing more rehearsing than performing.

Ben agreed, hoping for a chance to speak privately to his son about returning to the Ponderosa on the trip to practice. However, Adam set the tone for their conversation soon after they left the Stoddard house.

"You seemed to have a good time with Frank today in spite of the saddle problems. I hope you aren't too sore."

Ben rubbed his back and laughed, "I'll have to start walking when I can't handle a few riding mishaps, but I still don't know how people stay on those things." He looked over at Adam and smiled, "By the way, you looked very sophisticated in your breeches and tall boots. I suspect you and Frank wore those outfits to see what I'd say."

Adam's sly smile turned into a grin. "I'll admit that we wondered if you'd have a comment, but truthfully, those pants have suede inserts on the inner leg and seat to help you stay put. I would have offered you a pair, but I didn't think you'd wear them."

"You're right about that, but I did enjoy the opportunity to be with Frank and to see his spread from horseback. He's a genuine man and having a chance to work with him is something I've appreciated and learned from. I'm just glad I'll never have to face him in a bid-off for a project or explain why I can't deliver what he needs."

"You're right about that. Frank is known for his…ah…"

"Temper?" Ben supplied.

"There's that, but I think a better word is force. You've seen him. He bellows and makes lesser men quake. Once you get to know him though, you find that under all that bluster is a very reasonable and easygoing man. He's used to getting his way though, and doesn't put up with laxity or excuses." Adam glanced at his father, again. "Actually that's a pretty good description of you too, Pa."

They rode for another block in silence before Adam asked, "Does it bother you that Frank calls me, son? I noticed that you still winced a few times today when he did it. I can ask him to stop."

Ben said nothing for a bit, but reached over and patted Adam's hand. "I think it bothered me a lot at first. When we pulled up to that manor in the middle of the night and I saw his face brighten as you walked into the room despite the hour and possible circumstances, I knew that he thought of you as far more than an employee or his son's friend. It's hard not to see the closeness between the two of you."

Adam attempted to explain, but Ben held up his hand to stop him as he continued, "And when he called you son, I think my heart stopped for a moment. But I got over it as I came to know Frank. If he takes you into his heart, he takes you in completely and I have no doubt that he does think of you as one of his children. But you and I spent a lot of time together over the last week and we're still the same team we always were. No one can ever replace what we are to one another."

"That's for sure. Frank is a good man, but he's not you."

"I know that, son." Ben chuckled as he shook his head. "That word, son, does slip easily from the lips, doesn't it? And it's not like your name is so difficult to say. It would be different if we'd named you Hezekiah or Jehoshaphat. I suppose that, son, denotes a familiarity that a name does not. I think I react to Frank calling you, son, now because I wonder how many people I've called that while you were standing next to me. Did that ever bother _you_?"

"Nope, can't say it ever did. You will always welcome others into your heart too, Pa."

Ben nodded. His voice cracked slightly as he changed the subject. "Frank told me a few stories about your college days. One of them was about how a drunkard came into your dorm room. Did you know he was trying to kidnap Frankie?"

Adam chuckled. "I suspected that. The guy punched way to hard and accurately to be as drunk as he pretended to be."

"Les was hired right after that."

"I put that together the other night when Frank said that Les had been with him for 15 years. There were times I could have sworn that Frankie and I were being followed. I imagine that was true."

"Don't worry, Frank told me that he never asked for any reports of what you two were up to. Apparently he was of the opinion that you both deserved a chance to experience college without Les tattling." Ben lowered his voice as he gave Adam a knowing look. "How'd you like Frank's gift?"

Adam's rise in pitch marked his surprised, "You know about that?"

"Frank told me of his intentions and asked my opinion."

"I don't intend to spend the money, Pa. It's just Frank's way of showing me how he feels and…"

Ben silenced his son with a touch. "It's a generous gesture. I suspect that you will use it to benefit others, just as Frank is doing with you."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Of course not. Maybe I'll come to you for a loan instead of paying interest to the bank." They both chuckled. "Seriously, Adam, I could never ask someone to withhold a gift that might benefit any of my sons. You'll do great things whether you have a lot of money or not."

Ben found a seat near a lighted wall sconce in the concert hall and pulled out his train itinerary while the choir and orchestra warmed up. After making a few notes about his trip, he jotted a list of items to check before he left, and finally opened the newspaper that William had given him with the article about the Congressional hearing he'd testified at. He shook his head as he read the description of the Ponderosa and Cartwright wealth, realizing that this information had probably influenced Lloyd's decision to kidnap Melinda. "Why don't reporters ask questions instead of creating questionable information?" he grumbled.

He put the paper aside as he thought the choir was about to begin, but realized that they were still practicing and blocked out the rehearsal by losing himself Elizabeth's copy of _Paradise Lost_. Ben was so engrossed that he missed the opening bars of the mass when the strings and woodwinds began to play, but was jolted to attention as the brass joined in, swelling the introduction in a crescendo. Putting the book aside, Ben crossed his leg over his knee, folded his arms and sat back to listen. He was shocked to see the size of the choir now that everyone was in place, and did a quick headcount, figuring that there were at least 100 members. The orchestra, while small compared to the choir, produced a sound that belied its size.

 _Odd,_ he thought as he scanned the choir, _I don't see Adam_. Pushing up in the seat, he finally saw him seated at the front of group. Adam didn't join in with the others as they began to sing the first words of the mass, and Ben wondered if his son had perhaps taken ill again. He mentally kicked himself. _I should have paid more attention on the way over tonight. Did Adam give any indication that he wasn't well?_ The father began fidgeting when Adam was still not singing by the Kyrie, and continued to fret even as the second movement came to a close.

There was a lull in the performance as both directors moved to speak to the choir. He saw Adam nod several times, and then laugh at something said to him from a member of the choir standing behind him. Ben couldn't hear the conversations, but breathed with relief as Adam stood when the conductor went back to the podium and raised his baton.

As the orchestra began again, Ben noted that another man and two women had joined Adam on a raised platform at the front of the stage. The bass-voiced member of the group started to sing accompanied by a single trombone. After a minute or so, the strings entered softly as Adam began his solo lines. Ben was mesmerized. The words Adam sang were in Latin, but it didn't matter; he was focused on his son's voice. _Why have I never heard him sing like this before? His voice is so…_

The rest of the world dissolved as Ben leaned forward to capture every note. He was disappointed when the four soloists completed their section and the full choir joined in. But soon Adam was singing again, alone at first, and then in a quartet with the other soloists.

Ben inhaled deeply and held his breath as the four voices lifted his soul. When a drop of moisture hit his fingers, he realized a tear had slipped from his cheek. He wiped its companions away with the heels of his hands.

The Cartwright family had attended operas and concerts in San Francisco, and artistic events put on in Virginia City by traveling troupes, but Ben had never heard this Mozart work. He wondered if the music was as wonderful as it seemed or if it was made more so because Adam was an integral part of it. Yet as Ben continued to listen, a deep sadness began to shroud his heart.

There were several more opportunities to hear Adam as the group stopped the actual performance of the Requiem and began to work on sections where there had been problems. Ben hadn't heard any errors, but then he didn't have the musical judgment to pick out such details.

Several members of the choir came to greet Ben as rehearsal concluded. Some had been at the hospital or at Adam's wedding, while others were looking for feedback from their only audience member.

One of the group that he had met before said, "Several of us are heading to a pub down the street, Mr. Cartwright. Why don't you and Adam join us?"

"Thank you, but I'm not sure what Adam has in mind. We'll come if we can." He saw Adam motioning him to come to the stage and bid the others goodbye as he moved forward.

"Professor Kemp," Adam opened, "this is my father, Ben Cartwright."

The two men greeted each other and Ben offered sincerely, "It was a captivating performance that shall remain with me for some time."

Professor Kemp handed Adam a stack of music and asked that he take it to the storage room. Once his tenor was out of earshot, he addressed Ben. "I thought the performance would have to be set aside completely when so many of us became ill after celebrating my birthday. My greatest concern was for your son. As things often get blown out of proportion when they travel from person to person, I had heard that Adam wouldn't recover. You can't know how thankful I am that the rumors were false and that he is well."

The father smiled. "I think I might know how thankful you are."

The professor switched topics after a brief nod and smile at Ben's comment. "Adam said that your home is in Nevada and you'll be returning there shortly. I'm glad you were able to hear a bit of the concert before leaving. Had things not gone awry, the performance would have been tonight and I know how disappointed Adam was that you would need to leave before we could reschedule. I suggested he invite you tonight. I'm glad this worked out."

"I am too," Ben replied as the sadness he'd felt earlier returned. "Adam never got the chance to do choral work back home, so I am glad to see that he's singing in a choir of this caliber."

"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright. We are an unpaid group but we choose only the best of the best, and many of our members are from the field of music. I had concerns with letting such a new member do this part, but I also didn't have anyone who knew the music as well as your son. Adam is not a tenor, yet he has a good octave range and perfect pitch, and he's doing an excellent job. I think what is most remarkable is how the pureness of his voice draws the listener in." The professor chuckled. "Maybe it's all those years of fresh air and hard work on your ranch that honed such beautiful tone. Adam has ability, confidence, and an unmatched work ethic. But then I imagine that you know this about him already."

Ben nodded thoughtfully. "Yes I do."

Adam wondered why his father seemed quiet as they left the concert hall but didn't question him about it.

As they neared the buggy, Ben mentioned, "Some of your friends invited us to join them."

"Would you like to go, Pa?"

"I have several things to get done yet, and would like to spend a little time with Abel, so it might be best to head for home if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. I'd like to stay with you and Grandfather for a while and get to Melinda before she thinks I forgot about her again." Adam drove away, finally glancing over at his father after traveling a few blocks with nothing more said. By the start of the fourth block he asked, "Is something wrong? You seem lost in thought."

Ben breathed deeply before asking, "Adam, why is it that I didn't know you could sing like that. Why didn't you tell me that you knew how to perform these incredible things, or ever sing this sort of music at home?"

Adam shrugged and considered whether to keep quiet or tell the truth. "I don't want this to be taken as anything but an answer to your question, Pa, but I did tell you. I wrote about being accepted into the choir while I was at school, and about the concerts and solos I performed during that time. I even tried to tell you about it when I got back."

Ben snarled, "You never did," before softening it to, "Or at least I don't remember it."

"Your mind was usually on the ranch and that was true of the night I brought it up. You listened for a few sentences and then told me that I wasn't at school anymore and would have to focus on things that mattered. And when I told you that I wanted to approach our pastor about doing a song from Handel's Messiah the first Christmas I was back, you warned me that people wouldn't like it if I tried to show off." Adam chuckled. "My brothers didn't like to hear that kind of music either, but I'll have you know that I did sing in a choir." When his father flashed a questioning look, Adam explained, "I sang in the canyons when I was alone out there at night, and the coyotes sang along."

He asked his son to stop the carriage, waiting until Adam could face him to say, "I'm sorry that I didn't pay more attention to the things that mattered to you. I'm beginning to wonder just how much of yourself I forced you to give up or hide from me because _I_ couldn't see the importance. Those twelve years you were home again were the happiest of my life, and it saddens me to think that they were probably the worst years of yours. I don't know what to say...how to begin to make up for it. I had planned tonight to ask you to come back to Nevada with Melinda and make your life there, but now…"

Adam remembered thinking that this conversation would arise when he'd heard that his father was coming for a visit. Knowing it still didn't make it any easier to hear the question or formulate an answer. He decided to be honest. "I wanted to come home after school, Pa. I needed the chance to prove to both of us that I had learned something worthwhile in the years I was gone. I think both Melinda and I had things to prove to ourselves back then, and while I'm sorry that my life with her was delayed, I'm beginning to understand that things happen as they're meant to."

He paused a minute to consider what else he would share. "I admit that there were times when you'd seem to get so angry when I'd talk about Boston that I finally stopped trying. And I had to abandon some interests because the opportunities weren't available back home. There were other things that I refused to give up though, like reading whatever I wanted to regardless of the teasing it brought from my brothers." He smiled at his father. "What I found was that after I let go of the old interests, I developed new ones that became just as satisfying. We were a household of four people who each had their own preferences, and we came to honor our individuality while still managing to find our common interests. We all worked hard and lived well."

Adam nudged his father's arm. "And speaking of hard work, my years on the Ponderosa prepared me for anything. You taught me how to reason things out, how to decide on the best course of action and then how to follow through without paying attention to anyone who might not like what I was doing. I'll admit that there were tensions, and we didn't always see eye-to-eye."

Ben's frown turned to a soft smile. "You think that things got tense? That's one way to describe it. All-out wars of words and wills might be a better depiction. I remember you hollering quite often about how I couldn't see the value of new ideas, and I'd shout back that your education was clouding your judgment. That poor hat of yours got tossed to the floor in frustration so many times that I considered attaching a handle to it and making it a dust mop." The smile grew. "We did always pull together when it counted, didn't we?"

"I learned a lot. I know I'm different than my brothers. My interests and goals were different, but I wouldn't trade those years with them for anything. I want you to believe that I never _gave up_ anything to remain part of my family. I became a man in those years, and even though I grew restless toward the end, I never felt that I was being forced to stay. I just wasn't sure where I needed to go."

"One thing I am sorry about was that you didn't get to use your engineering skills more, but according to Frank's assessment, you're doing fine."

Adam laid a hand on his father's shoulder. "What do you mean I didn't get to use my engineering skills? Every bit of construction and moving thing on a ranch is based on engineering principles. I never said, 'I'm using my education now to place this fence post in the correct position,' but you have to admit we had the best fences in the territory." Adam winked. "And we tried new things, Pa. We built windmills, and sluices, and mills, I helped Philip Dedisheimer with his square set mine timbering, spent winters working with Frankie in San Francisco, and taught my brothers how to do things the right way."

A wide smile creased Ben's cheeks. "Maybe you didn't give up as much as I feared."

"When I first started school, a classmate asked me if I was a cowboy intellectual, or an intellectual cowboy. I went home to figure that out."

"I'm not sure what you mean, son. Is there a difference between the two?"

"To me there is. After the question was posed, I started to wonder if I was a cowboy who liked to learn things, or was I someone for whom learning was more important than what I did."

Ben's smile faded to wistfulness again. "I guess you found your answer. You seem different here. I think this is the life that calms your mind and eases your soul in a way that life out West never did."

"I think it's the time of my life that's different. It was hard to leave the Ponderosa behind, but I couldn't find what, or rather who I wanted to be anymore. I'm the same man, just riding a different trail. I promise I won't forget that there's a trail leading back to the Ponderosa, Pa. I can't make any promises about taking it soon. I hope you can understand that."

"I do. I'm sure that Abel thought I was crazy when I took off to places unknown with you. Still he encouraged me to go wherever my path led and I'll do the same for you." Ben chuckled as he put his arm around his son. "Seems like you've come full circle, Adam. Your trail led you back to where you started."

Ben Cartwright was sent off in grand style the next day with Frank and Marian, as well as Margaret and William joining the family at Abel's for lunch. As it neared time to leave, he made his way around the room offering personal goodbyes, and finally addressed them as a group. "I will remember all of you with great fondness. It's been an interesting couple of weeks in Boston, but through all of it, I've come to realize what a powerful alliance of friends and family my son and Melinda have behind them."

He gave his daughter-in-law a hug as he told her, "Adam is a fortunate man. Take care of each other, and I'll expect a visit soon." Turning then to Sadie, he kissed her cheek and thanked her for her hospitality and then embraced Abel, wishing him a happy life. After extending a quick invitation to all who might head West in the future, Ben gathered his things and headed to the door.

As Adam stowed Ben's satchels in the buggy, he showed his father two envelopes. "I'll stick these in your case, Pa. They're letters to Hoss and Joe. Let them know that you'll still be sending me reports on their comings and goings, so they might as well be honest when they write. And tell them that trains run east as well as west, so there's no reason they can't come to visit me. You'll be living proof that it's possible!"

With a wave back to the group assembled on the sidewalk, the Cartwrights headed to the station.

Passing near the harbor, Adam pointed out the area that he and Ben had worked on the week before. "They already have the timbering up for the retaining wall and are backfilling with stone and dirt. Frank said he'd never have gotten so far without the two of us working together. It felt like old times. Thank you…for everything, Pa. There were a number of things I couldn't have accomplished without you."

"Say no more. I enjoyed working with you, and admit that it beat any sort of sightseeing or sitting around jabbering that we might have done." He sighed. "I hate goodbyes, so I'll say what I have to now. Son…Adam, I have always been proud of you, and that feeling has been heightened during this visit. I will miss you, yet I know that you're feeling as excited now as I did when I ran those first trap lines on the Ponderosa. I also know that this is only the beginning and I expect great things from you…and a grandchild or two."

When Adam pulled into the station, Ben went to check on his train, and then returned to grab his things, telling Adam, "I don't want to drag this out, so I want you to get going. The train is running on schedule and due in shortly."

Adam stepped to the street. "I can't just leave you here."

Ben embraced his son, saying, "It's as I need it to be. Come good home, Adam. And don't take too long to make the trip. I want to be young enough to play with my grandchildren, not so old they'll have to push me around the yard in a wheelchair."

Adam tightened the embrace, "Don't worry, Pa. We have plenty of time."

Adam waved until his father was inside the building.

Ben walked quickly to a window overlooking the drop-off area and saw his son turn back one last time to wave before driving away. He placed his hand against the glass, and briefly rested his forehead on the sill once the familiar hat was too far down the block to see. "Goodbye, son," he whispered before gathering his bags and heading for the platform.

Adam spent a few hours taking measurements at a site after he dropped his father off, and arrived back home as the sun was setting. He could see Melinda at the table reading as he stepped onto the porch.

She raised her head and smiled as she heard him enter, and asked, "Rough day?"

"A little. It was hard saying goodbye, but Ben Cartwright does not do well away from the Ponderosa, even with two fine sons running it in his absence. I can only hope I'll feel as devoted to what I'm doing when I'm a few years older."

Melinda came to him, slipping her arms around his waist. "I like…" she hesitated, "no, I love your father. Maybe that's because he reminds me of someone else that I love very much." She laid her cheek against his. "When Ben and I spoke the other night, it was obvious to me how much he misses you. Did he ask you to come home?"

"In his way."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him," Adam whispered in her ear after kissing her, "that when I'm in your arms, I _am_ home."

The End.

*Judge David Terry from the episode, The War Comes to Washoe, was an actual character from that time period. As Bonanza scripts often did, Terry was presented as a historic figure in a fictional way. Accounts of Terry's looks were completely different than the character presented in the episode and there isn't much mention of his family or as having had a daughter. There was much conjecture as to what Terry and other Southern sympathizers were planning should the statehood conventions vote Nevada into the union, but as I say in this, nothing ever came of it. Most of those who seemed embroiled in the threats, moved into positions in government. There were militias of thousands of southerners in place, but they were never organized enough to pose a threat. I deal with the fiction side of the episode and am using facts from the scripts to create another fictional possibility—as a way to get Ben to Boston for Adam's wedding. I'm sure there were hearings following the war and people were called to testify. Had Ben Cartwright existed, I'm sure he would have been one of them.

**This information is from a story I wrote called, _It's Just a Year_. The story explained how Adam was able to qualify for admission to an Ivy League college when there were no schools in Nevada as he was growing up. While Ben was intelligent, I doubt he had a formal education including math, science, literature and a foreign language. The same shortcomings exist with Inger and Marie. Each may have had smarts, but neither would have had a background to teach Adam what he needed to know. In _It's Just a Year_ , I had Adam meet a Harvard professor who was doing research for a book on western wildflowers. There were actual botanical studies for Harvard going on in that time period. I just extended their scope…

3*James 4:14

4* It was thought at first that opiates were not addictive unless they went through the stomach. Of course that was proven false over time.

If you care to see any of Mozart's Requiem, you can look at: watch?v=6uYKwro4sSY&feature=related It might be a stretch for Pernell Roberts to sing tenor, but he did have a higher octave that he used in many of his songs. The episode with Hoyt Axton was one where he did a lot of tenor work.


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